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LIBRARY OF CONGRESS. | 

Cliap..'^_vl- Copyright No. 

ShelLAW-O-T I 



UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, 



OLD COLONY DAYS 



OLD COLONY DAYS 



BY 



/ 



MAY ALDEN WARD 

author of 

LIFE OF DANTE," "LIFE OF PETRARCH," ETC. 



JUL (^ ^^^% 



WAS\ 



BOSTON 

ROBERTS BROTHERS 

1896 



Copyright, 1896, 
By Roberts Brothers. 






^Sntbersttg Press: 

John Wilson and Son, Cambridge, U.S.A. 



CONTENTS. 



PAGE 



The Father of American History ... 9 

The Early Autocrat of New England . 89 

An Old-Time Magistrate 129 

Some Delusions of Our Forefathers . . 187 

A Group of Puritan Poets 235 

INDEX 277 



THE 

FATHER OF AMERICAN HISTORY. 



OLD COLONY DAYS. 



THE FATHER OF AMERICAN 
HISTORY. 

TDROWNING has tried to show us that it 
"^ is better to live poetry than to write 
it, although he could do both. For different 
reasons it is a grander thing to make history 
than to be merely the recorders of it. But 
when the makers of noble history are also its 
writers, then is the world fortunate. 

As Americans we can never be grateful 
enough that in the little band of men who 
first set foot on Plymouth Rock was one 
who realized that they were making history, 
one who felt that that rock was to become 
the corner-stone of a nation. He saw that 
9 



10 OLD COLONY DAYS. 

from the moment when they first resolved 
for freedom's sake " to tempt the dangers of 
an unknown sea, to plant a home in an un- 
known wilderness," their lightest acts became 
important and worthy of recording. To him 
we owe the chart by which we follow this 
heroic band step by step, day after day, 
through the long privations, the terrible 
sufferings, and the crushing sorrows which 
attended the birth of New England. 

Now that Forefathers' Day is celebrated 
from the Atlantic to the Pacific, and a splen- 
did monument marks the scene of their mar- 
tyrdom; now that great paintings of the 
embarkation and of the landing adorn not 
only the walls of Pilgrim Hall at Plymouth, 
but the Rotunda of the Capitol at Washing- 
ton, and the Peers' Corridor of the House of 
Parliament, — we are apt to forget what very 
unimportant events these were at the time 
of their occurrence. We cannot realize how 
little noise they made in the world, and how 



THE FATHER OF AMERICAN HISTORY. II 

easily all record of them might have been 
lost. England took no note either of the 
embarkation or of the landing; and the Peers 
would have been mightily amused had it 
been suggested to them that the departure of 
that little band of stubborn " Separatists " 
was an event of historical importance, worthy 
to be perpetuated on the walls of the House 
of Parliament. Painters, poets, and historians 
would have been dependent on imagination 
and tradition in portraying these scenes were 
it not for the pen of William Bradford, to 
whom belongs, unquestionably, the title of 
''The Father of American History." 

By this opinion no slight is intended to his 
famous contemporaries. Their greatness lay 
chiefly in other directions. Some touches, it 
is true, were added to the history by Edward 
Winslow ; but his sketches, rare treasures as 
they are, narrate only detached incidents. 
To Bradford alone belongs the credit of hav- 
ing written a connected history of the " Old 



12 OLD COLONY DAYS. 

Colony" during the first quarter century of 
its existence, while it was still doubtful 
whether it was to exist at all. He must be 
placed first in that great triumvirate of Plym- 
outh men of whom it has been said that 
Standish was the hand, Winslow the tongue, 
and Bradford the guiding brain. 

Volumes upon volumes have been written 
since ; but whoever would live again the life 
of the Pilgrims and feel their very presence, 
must go back to three old books, *' Mourt's 
Relation," ''Bradford's Letter Book," and 
" Bradford's History," written more than two 
centuries and a half ago. Each of these 
works had curious adventures of its own 
before it reached us in its present permanent 
form. The quaint little book called "Mourt's 
Relation" contains Bradford's journal during 
that first eventful winter on the bleak New 
England shore. It contains also Winslow's 
account of four expeditions to the Indian 
tribes about them, and a sermon preached to 



THE FATHER OF AMERICAN HISTORY. 1 3 

the Pilgrims by Robert Cushman during his 
first visit to the colony. For the satisfaction 
of those Englishmen who had risked their 
money in the venture, these papers were sent 
back to England in the second ship that 
came over. In 1622 they were published 
anonymously, without the knowledge of the 
writers, in a small volume called ** Mourt's 
Relation." There was little interest in the 
subject, and the book soon fell into oblivion, 
from which it was rescued only during the 
present century. Thanks to the Massachu- 
setts Historical Society, we have now a 
second edition, which in type, spelling, and 
punctuation is an exact reproduction of the 
first. 

" Bradford's Letter Book " contained an 
invaluable collection of letters to different 
members of the colony from friends in Eng- 
land and from those left behind in Leyden, 
together with the replies of the colonists and 
copies of important documents. The Brad- 



14 OLD COLONY DAYS. 

ford family allowed it to be placed for safe 
keeping in the tower of the Old South 
Church in Boston, where the Rev. Mr. 
Prince had collected a valuable library on 
New England history. At the beginning of 
the Revolution, when the British soldiers took 
possession of the Old South Church, and 
turned it into a riding school, many valuable 
manuscripts were purloined from the library, 
among them being the Letter Book. Twenty 
years later Mr. James Clark, of Boston, dis- 
covered a remnant of it in a grocer's shop in 
Nova Scotia. Three hundred and thirty-eight 
pages had already been used for wrapping- 
paper. Mr. Clark rescued the remainder, 
and it was printed in the Collections of the 
Massachusetts Historical Society. 

Bradford's manuscript history was also 
deposited in the library of the Old South, 
and disappeared with the letters. It had 
been cited and quoted by Morton, Prince, 
Mather, and others ; but the work itself had 



THE FATHER OF AMERICAN HISTORY. 1 5 

never been printed. From these extracts 
historians realized the value of what they 
had lost; but for more than seventy years 
no trace of it could be found. In 1855 Mr. 
Barry found in an English book a passage 
which was ascribed to a manuscript history 
of Plymouth, in the library of the Bishop of 
London. He recognized the passage as one 
of those extracts from Bradford, and began 
to hope that this manuscript was the long-lost 
history. Careful examination proved beyond 
a doubt that the manuscript was Bradford's 
history, written with his own hand. On one 
of the blank leaves was this memorandum: — 
" This book was rit by goefner William 
Bradford, and gifen to his son, mager 
William Bradford, and by him to his son 
mager John Bradford, rit by me Samuel 
Bradford, March 20, 1705." Another page 
contained a note by Rev. Mr. Prince, ex- 
plaining how the book came into the Old 
South library. 



1 6 OLD COLONY DAYS. 

The Bishop of London allowed a copy to 
be made for the Massachusetts Historical 
Society; and this, too, has been printed in 
their Collections. The original manuscript,, 
however, still remains in the library of the 
Bishop of London. It is an example of the 
irony of fate that the palace once occupied 
by Bancroft, whose cruelty drove the Pil- 
grims out of England, and later by, Laud, 
whose tyranny caused the settlement of 
Massachusetts Bay, should become the re- 
pository of the only record of the persecu- 
tions, sufferings, and achievements of the 
exiles. It has been suggested by a promi- 
nent Englishman that it would be a graceful 
act on the part of Great Britain to restore to 
the United States this precious manuscript, 
— the very book of Genesis of the nation. 

It is easy to see from the dates given above 
that only the present generation has had the 
privilege of hearing the story of the Pilgrims 
from their own lips. Indeed, before the dis- 



THE FATHER OF AMERICAN HISTORY. IJ 

covery of *' Bradford's History," we had not 
even a complete list of the passengers of 
the "■ Mayflower." Prince had copied from 
Bradford the names of the men who signed 
the compact, and had indicated by a figure 
after each name the size of the man's family; 
but the names of the women and children, 
whose heroism was equal to if not greater 
than that of the men, he had not thought it 
worth while to preserve. 

Although the character of Bradford is re- 
vealed in every page of his writings, he 
modestly keeps his personality in the back- 
ground, speaking of himself only when neces- 
sary, and then in an impersonal way. And 
yet the history of Plymouth contains the 
entire story of his life. While still a child, he 
came under the influence of those who were 
endeavoring to escape from the forms and 
requirements of the English Church as it 
was in that day, — the " bare and beggarly 
ceremonies," as he calls them. His only 

2 



1 8 OLD COLONY DAYS. 

relatives or guardians were two old uncles, 
who laughed at his piety and scorned his 
associates. 

The lad's chosen friend and companion 
was William Brewster, a man thirty years 
his senior. His influence on Bradford was 
of the utmost importance, not only on ac- 
count of his piety, but because of his great 
stores of wisdom and experience. Brewster 
was a scholar; but he had seen much of 
courts and cities, and had studied the world 
as well as books, before he settled down 
at Scrooby. In his earlier life he had been 
for years the trusted secretary and friend of 
Davison, the Secretary of State to Queen 
Elizabeth. Davison treated him "■ rather as 
a son than a servant." Brewster had been 
with him at Court and in foreign lands, had 
been entrusted with important commissions, 
and had come into very close touch with 
the mysteries of royalty; for it was Davi- 
son, his employer, who signed the death 



THE FATHER OF AMERICAN HISTORY. 1 9 

warrant of Mary, Queen of Scots, and 
lost his office thereby, through EHzabeth's 
treachery. 

Later Brewster received the government 
post which his father had held, and came 
to live in the old manor house at Scrooby, 
under the roof which had sheltered Cardinal 
Wolsey in his last days. Here he became 
the '* special stay and help " of the little flock 
of Separatists who were under the ministry 
of Pastor Clifton and the Rev. John Robin- 
son. When persecution obliged them to 
give up their place of worship, the congre- 
gation assembled regularly at the old manor 
house, where Brewster, " with great love, en- 
tertained them when they came, making pro- 
vision for them to his great charge." Those 
who speak of Bradford's lack of early advan- 
tages forget that the constant companionship 
of a man like William Brewster was in itself 
a liberal education. 

The congregation to which Brewster and 



20 OLD COLONY DA YS. 

Bradford belonged were not long allowed to 
assemble peaceably in the manor house. In- 
formers were plenty; and they were hunted 
and persecuted on every side, says Bradford, 
" so as their former afflictions were but as 
flea-bitings in comparison of these which 
now came upon them. For some were 
taken and clapt up in prison, and others 
had their houses besett and watcht night and 
day, and hardly escaped their hands ; and ye 
most were faine to flie and leave their howses 
and habitations, and the means of their livele- 
hood. Seeing themselves thus molested, and 
that ther was no hope of their continuance 
ther, by a joynte consente they resolved to 
goe into ye Low-Countries, wher they heard 
was freedome of Religion for all men. 

" Being thus constrained to leave their 
native soyle and countrle, their lands and 
livings, and all their friends and familiar ac- 
quaintance, it was much, and thought mar- 
velous by many. But to go into a countrie 



THE FATHER OF AMERICAN HISTORY. 21 

they knew not (but by hearsay,) wher they 
must learn a new language, and get their 
livings they knew not how, it being a dear 
place, and subject to ye misseries of warr, it 
was by many thought an adventure almost 
desperate, a case intolerable, and a misserie 
worse then death. Especially seeing they 
were not acquainted with trads nor traffique, 
(by which yt countrie doth subsiste) but had 
only been used to a plaine countrie life, and 
ye innocente trade of husbandry. But these 
things did not dismay them (though they 
did sometimes trouble them) for their desires 
were sett on ye ways of God, and to injoye 
his ordinances ; but they rested on his provi- 
dence, and knew whom they had beleeved." 

Yet this was not all, continues Bradford ; 
for though they could not stay, yet were 
they not suffered to go. The ports and 
havens were closed against them ; they were 
obliged to steal away like criminals, to bribe 
the mariners, and give "exterordinarie" rates 



22 OLD COLONY DAYS. 

for their passages, and were many times 
betrayed and surprised and intercepted, and 
•' thereby put to great trouble and charge." 
At one time, when they had chartered a ship 
which was to meet them at Boston, forty 
miles from Scrooby, the master of the ship 
betrayed them. As soon as the victims were 
on board, the officers appeared and hurried 
them ashore. After robbing and maltreating 
them, they threw them into prison. The 
majority were released in a few weeks ; but 
Bradford, Brewster, and five others *' of ye 
principall " were kept in prison for some 
time. Bradford was at this time only eigh- 
teen years of age, but was, as we see, one 
" of ye principall." 

The next year another attempt was made. 
This time they engaged a " Dutchman at 
Hull" who had a ship of his own. A few of 
the men were on board his boat, waiting to 
receive the women and children and their 
goods from the little bark which had brought 



THE FATHER OF AMERICAN HISTORY. 23 

them, when a company of officers appeared. 
The cowardly Dutch captain at once put to 
sea, without waiting for the rest of his pas- 
sengers. Those strong men wept. They 
begged to be put ashore that they might 
protect their famihes and their possessions, 
but in vain. They were carried out to sea; 
and after a terrible storm, which took them 
nearly a thousand miles out of their way, 
they were landed in Holland. Here Bradford 
was arrested as a fugitive from English justice 
and put in prison, but was released when it 
was found he was only a religious exile. 

After many other disappointments and 
mishaps "they all gatt over at length, some 
at one time and some at another, and some 
in one place and some in another, and mette 
togeather againe according to their desires, 
with no small rejoycing. 

" Being now come into ye Low Countries, 
they saw many goodly and fortified cities, 
strongly walled and garded with troopes of 



24 OLD COLONY DAYS, 

armed men. Also they heard a strange and 
uncouth language, and beheld ye differente 
maners and custumes of ye people, with their 
strange fashions and attires; all so farre dif- 
fering from yt of their plaine countrie vil- 
lages (wherin they were bred, and had so 
longe lived) as it seemed they were come into 
a new world. But these were not ye things 
they much looked on, or long tooke up their 
thoughts; for they had other work in hand, 
and another kind of warr to wage and main- 
taine. For though they saw faire and bewti- 
fuU cities, flowing with abundance of all sorts 
of welth and riches, yet it was not longe before 
they saw the grime and grisly face of povertie 
coming upon them like an armed man, with 
whom they must bukle and incounter, and 
from whom they could not flye; but they 
were armed with faith and patience against 
him and all his encounters; and though they 
were sometimes foyled, yet by God's assist- 
ance they prevailed and got ye victorie." 



■ THE FATHER OF AMERICAN HISTORY. 25 

Those among them who had been men of 
property had expended their wealth for the 
common good. The great expense of bring- 
ing over the whole number, together with the 
losses and misfortunes which had attended 
their efforts, had swallowed up their fortunes, 
so that all were now upon the same footing, 
— obliged to earn their living in whatever 
way they could. Bradford apprenticed him- 
self to a weaver; others became hatters, 
wool-combers, spinners, carpenters, brewers, 
bakers, tailors, and masons. 

They remained, however, but a few months 
in Amsterdam, fearing to become involved in 
the fierce controversy which was raging be- 
tween the two English churches already there. 
Hence they resolved to remove to Leyden, 
although the opportunities for earning a live- 
lihood were less favorable. They valued 
** peace and their spirituall comforte above 
any other riches whatsoever. And at length 
they came to raise a competente and com- 



26 OLD COLONY DAYS. 

forteable living, but with hard and continuall 
labor." 

The Rev. John Robinson, their pastor, was 
a " common father to them all," in temporal 
as well as spiritual affairs. He was a man 
rarely gifted for the place he was called to 
fill. His learning and talents finally brought 
him into such notice that the freedom of the 
university was extended to him. Among 
the privileges and perquisites belonging to 
this honor were " exemption from municipal 
control, half a tun of beer every month, and 
ten gallons of wine every three months." 
William Brewster was chosen as assistant 
pastor and elder. 

Brewster, however, suffered especial hard- 
ships. He had spent all of his fortune for 
the common good, and being, by his age and 
former manner of life, unfitted for the trades 
and callings which the Pilgrims were forced 
to take up, he had great difficulty to support 
his large family. But his cheerfulness and 



THE FATHER OF AMERICAN HISTORY. 2/ 

dignity never failed him. At length he ob- 
tained employment in teaching English to 
some German and Danish students at the 
university, using Latin as a means of com- 
munication. He invented a text-book on the 
plan of the Latin grammar, and attained 
some celebrity as a teacher. Afterward he 
set up a printing-press, bringing out a num- 
ber of theological books which could not 
safely be published in England. The Eng- 
lish government demanded his arrest, but he 
escaped by flight. 

In the course of years many new members 
were added to the little congregation, from 
different parts of England, and Bradford says 
they were sometimes not fewer than three 
hundred communicants. They lived in Ley- 
den eleven or twelve years, in such peace and 
harmony that the Dutch magistrates held 
them up as an example to the French Wal- 
loons, who also had a church there but who 
were of a less peaceable disposition. 



28 OLD COLONY DAYS. 

At length, however, the wiser members of 
the flock began to talk of removal to some 
other place. "Not out of any newfangled- 
ness, or other such like giddie humor, by 
which men are oftentimes transported to 
their great hurt and danger, but for suridrie 
weightie and solid reasons." 

First, the difficulty of obtaining a living; 
for many that would come to them were 
unable to endure the labor and hard fare, 
"yea, some even preferred and chose ye 
prisons in England rather than this libertie 
in Holland with these afflictions." 

Secondly, though the people generally 
bore these difficulties very cheerfully, yet old 
age began to steal on many of them, and 
they saw that they must soon scatter, or sink 
under their burdens. 

Thirdly, " as necessitie was a task-master 
over them they were forced to be such to 
their children," and many of them were over- 
taxed physically and growing old before 
their time. 



THE FATHER OF AMERICAN HISTORY. 29 

" But that which was more lamentable, and 
of all sorrovves most heavie to be borne, was 
that many of their children, by these occa- 
sions, and ye great licentiousness of youth in 
yt countrie, and ye manifold temptations of 
the place, were drawne away by evill examples 
into extravagante and dangerous courses, get- 
ting ye raines off their neks, and departing 
from their parents. Some became souldiers, 
others tooke upon them farr viages by sea, 
and other some worse courses, tending to 
dissolutenes and the danger of their souls, 
to ye great greefe of their parents and dis- 
honour of God. So that they saw their 
posteritie would be in danger to degenerate 
and be corrupted." 

Lastly, the hope of laying some founda- 
tion for propagating the gospel in heathen 
lands. For these reasons and others they 
resolved to leave Leyden and to form a 
colony in some place where they could re- 
main Englishmen and train up their children 



30 OLD COLONY DAYS. 

in their own church. Their thoughts turned 
to America as the only land offering room 
for their plans. Some, won by the glowing 
accounts of Sir Walter Raleigh, were for set- 
tling in Guiana; but the unsuitable climate, 
and the fact that Spain laid claim to the 
region, were sufficient objections. Others 
moved to join the English colony already 
established in Virginia. But it was feared 
that the church could not enjoy in Virginia 
the independence it desired. Those who had 
given most thought to the subject preferred 
a location farther north, yet still under the 
jurisdiction of the Virginia Company, as it 
was called. 

Several unsuccessful attempts had been 
made to plant a colony in this northern lati- 
tude, but in each case the colonists had given 
up, and had returned to England with the 
most disheartening reports of the country. 
Those who now objected to the scheme did 
not allow the promoters of it to forget or 



THE FATHER OF AMERICAN HISTORY. 3 1 

ignore the dangers and difficulties to be 
faced. They not only urged the perils of 
the sea, the length and discomfort of the 
voyage, the change of climate, the liability to 
famine and sickness, but added, that " those 
which should escape or overcome these diffi- 
culties, should yett be in continuall danger 
of ye salvage people, who are cruell, barbar- 
ous and most trecherous, being most furious 
in their rage, and merciles wher they over- 
come; not being contente only to kill, and 
take away life, but delight to tormente men 
in ye most bloodie manner that may be; 
fleaing some alive with ye shells of fishes, 
cutting of ye members and joynts of others 
by peesmeale, and broiling on ye coles, eate 
ye coUops of their flesh in their sight whilst 
they live; with other cruelties horrible to 
be related. And surely it could not be 
thought but ye very hearing of these things 
could not but move ye very bowels of men 
to grate within them, and make ye weake to 



32 OLD COLONY DAYS. 

quake and tremble." In spite of all this they 
did not abandon the design. 

For nearly two years three of their prin- 
cipal men were busy in England making 
arrangements for the emigration. There 
were two joint stock companies whose busi- 
ness was the colonization of America, and 
from one of these they obtained a grant of 
land, the place to be chosen by themselves 
somewhere near the mouth of the Delaware. 
They endeavored also to obtain a charter 
from King James with the privilege of reli- 
gious liberty. But the most the king could 
be brought to promise was that he would 
connive at their going, and would not molest 
them so long as they conducted themselves 
peaceably. Many were frightened at this, 
and afraid to venture without a charter; but 
Bradford wisely saw that if the king's word 
was not good neither would his seal be, 
for if he desired to wrong them he could do 
it "though they had a seal as broad as ye 
house flore." 



THE FATHER OF AMERICAN HISTORY. 33 

Arrangements were finally made with 
seventy " merchant adventurers " in London, 
who were to furnish the capital for the enter- 
prise, while the settlers were to mortgage 
their labor for seven years, during which 
time all profits and benefits " gott by trade, 
traffick, trucking, working, fishing, or any 
other means of any person or persons," 
were to be turned into the common fund. 
At the end of seven years the capital and 
profits, the houses, lands, goods, and chattels, 
were to be divided equally between the adven- 
turers and planters. The colonists found some 
of the conditions very hard. They had hoped 
to reserve tv/o days in the week for themselves, 
" for their own private imployment." They 
also felt that the homes which they should 
build in a new country ought to belong to 
them at the end of the seven years instead 
of being divided with the adventurers. But 
both of these clauses were stricken out of the 
agreement, greatly to their disappointment 
3 



34 



OLD COLONY DA YS. 



When these things had been settled, they 
appointed a solemn public fast to ask further 
guidance of the Lord as to who should go. 
There was not money enough to transport 
the whole company, nor could all have been 
ready to go at once. It was therefore re- 
solved that the younger and stronger mem- 
bers should go first, but only such as should 
freely offer themselves ; those who remained 
promising to join them as soon as possible, 
if the Lord gave them life, means, and op- 
portunity. Pastor Robinson was to remain 
with the congregation at Leyden, and Elder 
Brewster to accompany the Pilgrims to the 
New World. 

In the number who were to go were some 
who were but recent additions to the flock; 
among others, Edward Winslow, a talented 
and educated young Englishman, who, pass- 
ing through Holland three years before, had 
been so charmed with the little community 
that he joined himself to it. He was now 



THE FATHER OF AMERICAN HISTORY. 35 



ready to accompany them in this perilous 
undertaking; and he it was who became 
their tongue, their ever ready ambassador, 
whether to savage tribes or to EngHsh 
courts. Another recent accession was the 
doughty Httle captain, Miles Standish, who 
was not a member of their church, and was 
even strongly suspected by some of secret 
leanings toward Roman Catholicism. What- 
ever his religion, he cast in his lot with the 
Pilgrims, and proved himself their brave de- 
fender in many an hour of terror. 

At length all things were in readiness for 
the departure. A small ship — the ** Speed- 
well " — was brought, which was to carry 
them to Southampton, where they were 
to meet the larger vessel which had been 
procured for them, — the "Mayflower." The 
smaller ship was to carry a part of them 
across the Atlantic, and remain with them 
for a year. Another solemn fast was kept, 
the pastor taking for his text Ezra viii. 21 : 



36 OLD COLONY DAYS. 

"And ther at ye river by Ahava, I proclaimed 
a fast, that we might humble ourselves before 
our God, and seeke of him a right way for us, 
and for our children and for all our substance." 
'* Upon which," says Bradford, '' he spente 
a good part of ye day very profitably. The 
rest of the time was spente in pouring out 
prairs to ye Lord with great fervencie, mixed 
with abundance of tears. And ye time being 
come that they must departe, they were ac- 
companied with most of their brethren out 
of the citie, unto a town sundrie miles off 
called Delfes-Haven, wher the ship lay ready 
to receive them. So they lefte yt goodly and 
pleasant citie^ which had been ther resting 
place near twelve years, but they knew they 
were pilgrimes, and looked not much on 
those things, but lift tip their eyes to ye 
heavens^ their dearest coitntricy and quieted 
their spirits y Bradford, who writes these 
words, was leaving behind him his only 
child, a boy not more than six years old. 



THE FATHER OF AMERICAN HISTORY. 37 

'* When they came to ye place they found 
ye ship and all things ready; and such of 
their freinds as could not come with them 
followed after them and sundrie also came 
from Amsterdame to see them shipte and to 
take their leave of them. That night was 
spent with litle sleepe by ye most, but with 
freindly entertainmente and christian dis- 
course and other real expressions of true 
christian love. The next day, the wind being , 
faire, they wente aborde and their freinds 
with them, where truly dolful was ye sight of 
that sad and mournfull parting; to see what 
sighs and sobbs and praires did sound 
amongst them, what tears did gush from 
every eye, and pithy speeches peirst each 
harte; that sundry of ye Dutch strangers 
yt stood on ye key as spectators, could not 
refraine from tears. Yet comfortable and 
sweete it was to see shuch lively and true 
expressions of dear and unfained love. But 
ye tide (which stays for no man) caling 



38 OLD COLONY DAYS. 

them away yt were thus loath to departe, 
their Reverend pastor faUing downe on his 
knees (and they all with him) with watrie 
cheeks comended them with most fervente 
praiers to the Lord and his blessing. And 
then with mutuall imbrases and many tears, 
they tooke their leaves one of another; — 
which proved to be ye last leave to many 
of them." This was the embarkation of the 
Pilgrims. 

At Southampton they found the ** May- 
flower," with those who were to join them 
there. But they met with serious delays and 
provocations in their final arrangements with 
the adventurers. At length, on the fifteenth 
of August, they " sett sayle." The passen- 
gers were divided, ninety being assigned to 
the '' Mayflower" and thirty to the '' Speed- 
well." They had not gone far when the 
master of the smaller ship complained that 
his ship was leaking, and that he dared not 
go farther. Both vessels resolved to put 



THE FATHER OF AMERICAN HISTORY. 39 

into Dartmouth to have the *' Speedwell " 
searched and mended, which was done, " to 
their great charg and losse of time and a faire 
winde." They again put to sea, but had gone 
only three hundred miles from Land's End 
when the master of the small ship again com- 
plained of his leaky vessel, declaring he could 
hardly keep her free by constant pumping. 
After consultation both ships put back to 
Plymouth. 

No leak could be discovered in the 
"Speedwell;" but concluding that she was 
unseaworthy from general weakness, they 
decided to send her back to London, and 
continue the voyage with only one vessel. 
This necessitated leaving a part of the pas- 
sengers; for they could not all be crowded 
into the '' Mayflower." 

'* The which (though it was greevous and 
caused great discouragmente) was put into 
execution. So after they had tooke out such 
provission as ye other ship could well stow, 



40 OLD COLONY DA YS. 

and concluded both what number and what 
persons to send bak, they made another sad 
parting, ye one ship going backe for London, 
and ye other was to proceede on her viage. 
Those that went bak were for the most parte 
such as were wilHng so to doe, either out of 
some discontente, or feare they conceived of 
ye ill success of ye vioage, seeing so many 
croses befall, and the year time so farr 
spente; but others, in regarde of their own 
weaknes, and charge of many yonge chil- 
dren, were thought least usefuU, and most 
unfite to bear ye brunte of this hard adven- 
ture; unto which worke of God, and judge- 
mente of their brethren, they were contented 
to submite. And thus, like Gedeon's armie, 
this small number was devided, as if ye Lord 
by this worke of his providence thought 
these few too many for ye great worke he 
had to do." Afterward it was learned that 
the master of the *' Speedwell " had repented 
of his agreement to remain a year with the 
colonists, and had deceived them. 



THE FATHER OF AMERICAN HISTORY. 41 

Eighteen of the company were sent back 
to London in the "Speedwell." The remain- 
ing one hundred and two were crowded into 
the "Mayflower; " and they put to sea for 
the third time on the sixteenth of Septem- 
ber. By the treachery and mismanagement 
of others they had been robbed of six weeks 
of fair weather, and the journey had been 
pushed into the most unfavorable season 
of the year. In mid-ocean they encountered 
terrible storms, by which the ship was 
" shrewdly shaken," and the main beam 
amidships "bowed and cracked." The fright- 
ened sailors began to talk of returning, and 
would probably have done so had not Europe 
been as far away as America. Fortunately 
one of the passengers had brought from Hol- 
land a great iron jack-screw; and with this 
the beam was crowded home. One of the 
passengers died at sea; but their number re- 
mained the same, for Mistress Hopkins gave 
birth to a boy, who received the appropriate 
name of Oceanus. 



42 OLD COLONY DA YS. 

On the twentieth of November, at break of 
day, they espied land, and the appearance of 
it much comforted them. It proved to be 
Cape Cod ; and as their patent gave them no 
authority to settle there, they turned the 
ship southward, toward the mouth of the 
Hudson. But the difficulties and dangers of 
the passage, and the fierce opposition of the 
captain, forced them to return to Cape Cod 
harbor, and to think of a settlement there. 
" Being thus arrived in a good harbor and 
brought safe to land, they fell upon their 
knees and blessed ye God of heaven, who 
had brought them over ye vast and furious 
ocean, and delivered them from all ye perils 
and miseries therof, againe to set their feete 
on the firme and stable earth, their proper 
element. 

" But hear," says Bradford, '* I cannot but 
stay and make a pause, and stand half 
amased at this poore peoples presente con- 
dition ; and so I thinke will the reader too, 



THE FATHER OF AMERICAN HISTORY. 43 

when he well considers the same. Being 
thus passed ye vast ocean, and a sea of 
troubles before in their preparation (as 
may be remembered by yt which wente 
before) they had now no freinds to wellcome 
them, nor inns to entertaine or refresh their 
weather-beaten bodys, no houses or much 
less townes to repair too, to seeke for suc- 
coure. It is recorded in scripture as a 
mercie to ye apostle and his ship wraked 
company, yt the barbarians showed them no 
small kindness in refreshing them, but these 
savage barbarians, when they mette with 
them (as after will appeare) were readier to 
fill their sids full of arrows then otherwise. 
And for ye season it was winter, and they 
that know ye winters of yt countrie know 
them to be sharp and violent, and subject to 
cruell and feirce storms, deangerous to travill 
to known places, much more to serch an 
unknown coast. Besides, what could they 
see but a hidious and desolate wildernes, 



44 OLD COLONY DA YS. 

full of wild beasts and wild men? and what 
multitudes ther might be of them they knew 
not. Nether could they, as it were, goe up 
to the top of Pisgah, to vew from this will- 
dernes a more goodly countrie to feed their 
hops ; for which way soever they turned 
their eyes (save upward to ye heavens) they 
could have little solace or content in respecte 
of any outward objects. For summer being 
done, all things stand upon them with a 
wetherbeaten face ; and ye whole countrie, 
full of woods and thickets, represented a wild 
and savage heiw. If they looked behind 
them, there was ye mighty ocean which they 
had passed, and was now as a main barr and 
goulfe to separate them from all the civili 
parts of ye world. If it be said they had a 
ship to succoure them, it is trew; but what 
heard they daly from the master and com- 
pany? but that with speed they should look 
out a place with their shallop. Yea, it was 
muttered by some, that if they gott not a 



THE FATHER OF AMERICAN HISTORY. 45 

place in time, they would turn them and 
their goods ashore and leave them. What 
could now sustain them but ye spirite of God 
and his grace? May not and ought not the 
children of these fathers rightly to say : Our 
faithers were Englishmen which came over 
this great ocean, and were ready to perish in 
this wilderness ; but they cried unto ye Lord 
and he heard their voyce and looked 07i their 
adversitie. Let them therfore praise ye Lord, 
because he is good and his mercies e^idure for 
everP 

The passage from Plymouth to Cape Cod 
had lasted sixty-seven days, but from South- 
ampton it had been ninety-nine days, while 
those who started from Delft haven had been 
more than four months on shipboard. They 
must still be content in midwinter with those 
narrow, uncomfortable quarters, and for the 
women and children there were many weeks 
of waiting before all could be provided for 
on shore. 



46 OLD COLONY DA YS. 

The place where they now were was wholly 
outside the jurisdiction of the Virginia Com- 
pany. Therefore the patent which it had 
cost them so much trouble to procure was 
useless. They had no doubt of being able 
to obtain a patent from the other company ; 
but in the mean time another trouble arose. 
Not all the passengers of the " Mayflower " 
were saints by any means. Not all of them 
were even desirable citizens, as later events 
proved. Their relations to the adventurers 
had obliged the Pilgrims to allow certain 
persons, of whom they knew nothing, to join 
them in England. From some of these 
strangers troublesome and mutinous mutter- 
ings were now heard, to the effect that when 
they came ashore they would have their own 
liberty; since the patent was null, and they 
had no charter, there was no authority to 
which they need be subject; as soon as they 
landed every man would be his own master. 
For this reason, and in accordance with 



THE FATHER OF AMERICAN HISTORY. 47 

Robinson's advice that they should at once 
frame a form of civil polity, forty-one men 
met in the little cabin of the ** Mayflower " 
and signed the famous compact: "In the 
name of God, amen. We, whose names are 
underwritten, the loyal subjects of our dread 
sovereign lord King James, by the grace of 
God of Great Britain, France and Ireland, 
King, Defender of the Faith, etc., having 
undertaken for the glory of God and the 
advancement of the Christian faith, and 
honor of our King and country, a voyage to 
plant the first colony in the northern parts 
of Virginia, do, by these presents solemnly 
and mutually, in the presence of God, and 
one of another, covenant and combine our- 
selves together into a civil body politic, for 
our better ordering and preservation and 
furtherance of the ends aforesaid; and by 
virtue hereof to enact, constitute, and frame 
such just and equal laws, ordinances, acts, 
constitutions, and offices, from time to time, 



48 OLD COLONY DA YS. 

as shall be thought most meet and con- 
venient for the general good of the colony, 
unto which we promise all due submission 
and obedience. In witness whereof we have 
hereunder subscribed our names at Cape 
Cod, the Eleventh of November, (Old Style) 
in the year of the reign of our sovereign lord 
King James, of England, France and Ireland, 
the eighteenth, and of Scotland the fifty- 
fourth-Anno Dom., 1620." 

" This," said John Quincy Adams, " is 
perhaps the only instance in human history 
of that positive, original social compact 
which speculative philosophers have imag- 
ined as the only legitimate source of govern- 
ment. Here was a unanimous and personal 
assent by all the individuals of the commu- 
nity to the association, by which they became 
a nation." The malcontents, whoever they 
were, signed the compact with the rest; so 
that all had pledged themselves to be bound 
by such laws as the majority should adopt. 



THE FATHER OF AMERICAN HISTORY. 49 

After this they elected Mr. John Carver 
governor for that year. 

Two days later the women of the " May- 
flower " took decisive action. They insisted 
upon being carried ashore to do a ** much 
needed washing." Monday, the twenty-third 
of November, deserves to be remembered 
in the annals of history as the first *' wash 
day" in New England. 

The ship was now anchored about a mile 
from the site of Provincetown. The men 
got out the shallop which they had brought 
from England, " stowed away in the ship's 
quarters," and set the carpenters to repairing 
it, in order that they might explore the coast 
to find a suitable site for a town. Too im- 
patient to wait for the shallop, sixteen men, 
under command of Capt. Miles Standish, 
made an expedition on foot. They were 
gone three days, and brought back some 
Indian corn, " which seemed to them a very 
goodly sight, they never having seen such 



50 OLD COLONY DAYS. 

before." This corn was used for seed-corn, 
and proved the salvation of the colony. 
While they were absent, an addition had 
been made to the colony by the birth of 
Peregrine White, the first EngHsh child born 
on the coast of New England. 

The second expedition was made with the 
shallop, but they returned discouraged, hav- 
ing found no suitable spot. While they lay 
at anchor in Cape Cod harbor, the whole 
company came near being blown into eter- 
nity by the ubiquitous small boy, from whom 
not even the "Mayflower" was exempt. 
John Billington, having found a loaded gun, 
shot it off in the cabin, where there was a 
keg of loose powder not four feet from the 
fire. " And yet, by God's mercy, no harm 
done," says Bradford, mildly. 

On the sixteenth of December, ten of the 
men, with eight seamen, again started out in 
the shallop to find a larger harbor, although 
it was so cold that the sea spray froze on 



THE FATHER OF AMERICAN HISTORY. 5 I 

their clothes, making them hke coats of iron. 
The second night some of the party built a 
barricade, and slept on shore. In the morn- 
ing they had their first unpleasant encounter 
with the Indians, who showered arrows upon 
them from behind the trees. Fortunately 
no one was hurt, though some coats hanging 
on the barricade were shot through and 
through. Having frightened the Indians 
away with their firearms, and gathered up 
eighteen arrows to send back to England, 
they returned to their boat. 

In the afternoon a storm came on them, 
with sleet and snow; the sea grew rough, 
the rudder broke, their mast split in three 
pieces, the sail fell overboard, the pilot lost 
his head entirely, and they would all have 
been cast away but for the presence of mind 
of one of the sailors. *' Though it was very 
dark and rained sore, yet in ye end they gott 
under the lee of a small iland, and remained 
there all yt night in saftie. But they did 



52 OLD COLONY DAYS. 

not know it to be an island, and some were 
afraid to go ashore for fear of the Indians." 
Others were so weak and cold and wet that 
they could not endure it, but got ashore 
and built a fire. After midnight the wind 
changed to the northwest, it froze hard, and 
all were glad to come ashore. "Ye next day- 
was a faire, sunshinig day, and they found 
them sellvs to be on an iland, secure from 
ye Indeans, wher they might drie their stufe, 
fixe their peeces, rest themselves, and gave 
God thanks for his mercies in their manifould 
deliverances. And this being the last day of 
ye weeke, they prepared ther to keepe ye 
Sabath." On the Sabbath Day they rested. 
When we remember their situation, — the 
cold winter day, so far from the ship, on an 
unknown island, with no shelter over their 
heads, their families anxiously awaiting their 
return, — when we consider all this, and see 
these men quietly keeping the Sabbath on 
Clark's Island, we can form some estimate 



THE FATHER OF AMERICAN HISTORY. 53 

of their respect for the day. That there 
could be any combination of circumstances 
which would justify " breaking the Sabbath " 
seems never to have entered their minds. 
In this connection it is of interest to note 
their record of Christmas a few days later: 
" We went on shore, some to fell timber, 
some to saw, some to rive, and some to 
carry; so no man rested all that day." 
Christmas was to them a relic of popery; 
but the Sabbath day was sacred. 

On Monday they sounded the harbor, and 
found it fit for shipping ; they marched into 
the land, and found diverse cornfields and 
little running brooks, — a place very good 
for situation. This, then, was the landing of 
the Pilgrims, *' the birthday of New Eng- 
land." The spot which they had chosen had 
the four advantages of which they had been 
in search, — a harbor for ships, cleared land, 
good water, and natural defences. Long 
before, by a singular coincidence, the place 



54 OLD COLONY DAYS. 

had received from Capt John Smith the 
name of Plymouth, — the name of the last 
port in England from which they had sailed. 
The exploring party had been absent about a 
week, and their families in the *' Mayflower" 
were eagerly awaiting their return. ** So they 
returned to their shipe againe with this news 
to ye rest of their people, which did much 
comforte their harts." 

William Bradford was one of the explor- 
ing party. On his return to the ship, weary 
and worn from exposure, but glad to be the 
bearer of good news, he was met by the 
terrible tidings that the young wife who 
had accompanied him across the ocean had 
fallen overboard and drowned during his 
absence. The home of which he was dream- 
ing in the lovely spot which they had chosen 
would be a lonely one for him. 

By the end of the week the '* Mayflower" 
was safely anchored in Plymouth harbor, her 
journey done, her name made immortal. 



THE FATHER OF AMERICAN HISTORY. 55 

Another Sabbath Day the Pilgrims rested 
in sight of the " promised land.'' Then, the 
majority having confirmed the choice of the 
ten explorers, they set to work to build a 
town out of the raw material. They had to 
hew the logs, carry stone, make mortar, and 
cut thatch. On the hill above they planned 
to build a platform for their cannon, to pro- 
tect them from the Indians, whose dusky 
forms they could see now and then sulking 
about among the trees. 

Another hill was chosen for a burying- 
ground; for so many were the dead and 
dying that this was one of their first needs. 
A common house was built, twenty feet 
square, to receive their provisions, and to 
shelter those who had begun to sleep on the 
shore. In order to do away with the neces- 
sity of building many houses, the company 
was divided into nineteen families ; and each 
single man was assigned to some family. 

A street was laid out, running from the 



56 OLD COLONY DAYS. 

harbor to the hill, parallel with the little 
stream which they called Town "Brook. The 
choice of location was determined by lot, 
and homesteads were staked out on each 
side of the way. The street was at first 
called simply "The Street;" afterward, 
when there were others, it was called First 
Street. Two hundred years later it received 
its present name of Leyden Street. It is 
still there ; and as we pass between the two 
rows of houses, along the path so often 
trodden by the Pilgrims, " from the seaside 
to the hill, ... he is cold indeed who does 
not feel the thrill that comes from treading 
on hallowed ground." 

The building went but slowly. ** Frost 
and foul weather hindered them much." 
Seldom could they work more than half the 
week. Much time was lost in going to and 
from the ship ; for only a few of them could 
sleep in the " common house." The ship lay 
a mile and a half from the shore ; and they 



THE FATHER OF AMERICAN HISTORY. 57 

often had to wait for the tide. Could we 
Hnger over every step of the building of the 
town, could we follow day by day Bradford's 
photographic record of the doings of the Pil- 
grims during these first weeks, we should 
find every page full of interest, full of quaint 
and pathetic incidents. There was that ter- 
ribly anxious night when two of their num- 
ber, who had gone to cut thatch, were lost 
in the woods, and stood all night listening to 
the howling of the wolves, trying to keep 
their two dogs from answering the howls, 
and ready to climb the trees at a moment's 
warning if the wolves should approach near. 
Thus they waited for daylight with the very 
blood freezing in their veins. Then who can 
forget that afternoon walk of John Goodman 
and his little spaniel? The dog, chased by 
the wolves, crouched for protection between 
his master's frozen feet. Goodman, with no 
weapon but a stick, tried to frighten away 
the wolves, " which sat on their tails grinning 
at him." 



58 OLD COLONY DAYS. 

After three weeks' labor, their common 
house being finished and covered with a roof 
of thatch, they prepared to observe the Sab- 
bath there. All who were able to leave the 
ship were to attend the services. But on 
Sunday morning, when those on shipboard 
turned their eyes as usual toward their future 
home, they saw the common house in flames. 
They supposed the fire to be the work of 
savages; and they waited in trembling un- 
certainty until the tide would permit them to 
go ashore and learn the fate of their breth- 
ren. They found that the fire had caught 
from a spark, that only the roof had burned, 
and that no one was injured, although Gov- 
ernor Carver and William Bradford had lain 
sick in the house with their loaded muskets 
by their sides. 

" In these hard and difficulte beginings 
they found some discontents and murmurings 
arise amongst some, and mutinous speeches 
and carriags in other; but they were soone 



THE FATHER OF AMERICAN HISTORY. 59 

quelled and overcome by ye wisdome, pa- 
tience, and just and equall carrage of things 
by ye Governor and better part, which clave 
faithfully together in ye maine. But that 
which was most sadd and lamentable was, 
that in two or three months time halfe of 
their company dyed, espetially in January 
and February, being ye depth of winter, and 
wanting houses and other comforts ; being 
infected with ye scurvie and other diseases, 
which this long vioyage and their inaccom- 
modate condition had brought upon them; 
so as ther dyed sometimes two or three of a 
day, in ye aforesaid time ; that of one hun- 
dred and odd persons, scarce fifty remained. 
And of these in ye time of most distress, 
there was but six or seven sound persons, 
who, to their great comendations be it 
spoken, spared no pains, night nor day, but 
with abundance of toyle and hazard of their 
owne health, fetched them woode, made them 
fires, drest them meat, made their beads. 



60 OLD COLONY DAYS. 

washed their lothsome cloaths, cloathed and 
uncloathed them ; in a word, did all ye 
homly and necessarie offices for them which 
dainty and quesie stomacks cannot endure 
to hear named; and all this willingly and 
cherfully, without any grudging in ye least, 
shewing herein their true love unto their 
freinds and bretheren. A rare example and 
worthy to be remembered. Tow of these 
seven were Mr. William Brewster, ther Rev- 
erend Elder, and Miles Standish, ther Cap- 
tein and military commander, unto whom 
myselfe, and many others were much be- 
holden in our low and sicke condition. And 
yet the Lord so upheld these persons, as in 
this generall calamity, they were not at all 
infected." 

We have many instances of Elder Brew- 
ster's greatness of heart; but we are glad to 
have this picture of Miles Standish nursing 
the sick, — glad to know that underneath 
that fiery temper and warlike spirit was a 



THE FATHER OF AMERICAN HISTORY. 6 1 

nature as tender and gentle as a woman's. 
Rose Standish, his delicate wife, was one of 
the first to droop and die in the unkind air 
of New England. The graves upon the hill- 
side had grown so numerous that they were 
obliged to smooth away all traces of them 
and sow the place with grain, through fear 
lest the Indians should see how their num- 
bers had been reduced and take advantage of 
their weakness. 

One of the first steps which the Pilgrims 
took was to hold a town meeting, and form a 
military organization, electing Miles Standish 
as their commander. In the beginning the 
number of men had been but forty-one, of 
whom a large proportion had already sick- 
ened and died, so that their standing army 
was a small one. Captain Standish could 
boast, as did Caesar, that he knew the name 
of every man in his army. Yet he yielded 
not an inch of his authority, but insisted 
upon strict military discipline and obedience. 



62 OLD COLONY DAYS. 

''John Billington, for his contempt of the 
Captain's lawful command with opprobrious 
speeches, was convented before the whole 
company and adjudged to have his neck and 
heels tied together, but upon his humbling 
himself and craving pardon he was released." 
During all this time they had had no com- 
munication with the natives, although they 
could see one now and then skulking behind 
a tree. One day in March, a dusky savage, 
naked save for a leather girdle about his 
waist, passed up the street to the common 
house, where the men were holding a town 
meeting, and greeted them with the word 
''Welcome." His name was Samoset ; and 
he had learned some English words from 
the men who came to fish on the coast of 
Maine. From him they learned that the 
place where they were was called by the In- 
dians Pawtucket, and that four years before 
a terrible plague had exterminated the tribe 
which dwelt there. Samoset was well re- 



THE FATHER OF AMERICAN HISTORY. 63 

ceived, and came again and again, the third 
time bringing word that Massasoit, the grand 
sachem of the tribes of Pokanoket, wanted to 
visit them. When the chief appeared with 
twenty warriors, they received him with as 
much pomp and state as they could sum- 
mon. Captain Standish with six musketeers 
met him at Town Brook, and conducted him 
to a house where a green rug and cushion 
had been placed for him. Then Governor 
Carver appeared with a small body-guard of 
musketeers, attended by drum and trumpet. 
This visit was of the gravest importance. A 
treaty was concluded with Massasoit which 
was not broken for more than forty years. 
He also undertook to convey to the other 
tribes the peaceable intentions of the white 
men. 

Samoset had brought with him Squanto, 
or Tisquantum, the sole surviving Indian of 
the tribe which had been exterminated. 
Squanto's life had been saved in a curious 



64 OLD COLONY DA YS, 

manner. Some seven years previously Cap- 
tain Hunt, one of John Smith's men, having 
beguiled a score of Indians into his ship 
under pretence of trading, carried them off 
to Spain, and sold them as slaves. Squanto 
was one of the number. He was taken to 
England, where he learned the language and 
something of English habits. After three or 
four years he was carried back to America 
by Captain Dermer, to find himself the sole 
survivor of his tribe. Squanto became, as 
it were, the guest of the colony, remaining 
with them as long as he lived, and proving 
of great service as an interpreter. He also 
taught them how to sow and tend their corn, 
and where to hunt and fish. Captain Hunt's 
treachery had aroused in the Indians a feel- 
ing of hatred toward all white men ; and 
when they saw the colonists coming, they 
looked upon them as enemies. They held 
an assembly in a " dark and dismal swampe, 
. . . where they got all the Powachs of ye 



THE FATHER OF AMERICAN HISTORY. 65 

country," says Bradford, " for three days 
togeather, in a horid and divellish- maner to 
curse and execrate them with their conjura- 
tions." The treaty with Massasoit was there- 
fore a gain of no small importance. 

At length the weary winter wore away. 
"Warm and fair weather appeared and the 
birds sang in the trees most pleasantly. ... It 
pleased God the mortalitie begane to cease 
amongst them, and ye sick and lame recov- 
ered apace, which put as it were new life 
into them; though they had borne their s^dd 
affliction with much patience and contented- 
nes, as I thinke any people could doe." 

There was no necessity now for the nine- 
teen houses they had planned to build. A 
much smaller number would suffice. Half 
the company had found a home in the 
"house not made with hands." Many, many 
times had the sad pilgrimage been made to 
the hill which they had chosen for a burial- 
ground. And now, with the approach of 
5 



66 OLD COLONY DAYS. 

Spring, another trial was before them. The 
'' Mayflower," which had remained in the 
harbor through the winter, was to return to 
England. The crew, as we know, were 
coarse, inhuman men. The captain had 
shown the Pilgrims scant courtesy. The 
occasions when they were " kindly and 
friendly together" had been rare enough to 
be worthy of special mention. Yet, with all 
that, it was a sad day when the old ship 
sailed away. She was the only connecting 
link between the Pilgrims and the civilized 
world. With her departure all possibility of 
return, all means of communication were 
cut off. They might be destroyed by the 
Indians or swept away by disease, and none 
would know their fate. Five hundred miles 
to the north of them were a ^qvj Frenchmen. 
P'ive hundred miles to the south was the 
little colony of Jamestown. But practically 
all the white people on the continent were as 
far removed from them as if they had been 



THE FATHER OF AMERICAN HISTORY. 6y 

in Europe. The Pilgrims were surrounded 
by savage tribes, of which only one had signi- 
fied peaceable intentions. Yet, in the face of 
all these discouragements, when the " May- 
flower" sailed away not one of the Pilgrims 
was on board. Surely the words which 
Brewster had written were true : ** It is not 
with us as with other men, whom small 
things can discourage, or small discontent- 
ments cause to wish themselves at home 
again." 

Soon after the departure of the ** May- 
flower " the colony suffered a great loss in 
the death of Governor Carver. He returned 
from the field, where he had gone to labor 
with the others, prostrated with the heat, and 
died a few days later. They buried him in 
" great lamentation and heaviness, with as 
much solemnity as they were in capacity to 
perform, with a discharge of some volleys of 
shot of all that bare arms." His wife, over- 
come with grief, followed him in a few 



68 OLD COLONY DAYS. 

weeks. The first governor of Plymouth left 
no descendants. 

William Bradford was chosen as Carver's 
successor ; and from that time until his 
death, thirty-six years later, the colony 
looked upon him as its head. " Five times 
he by importunity gat off, insisting that if 
the office of governor were an honor others 
ought to share it, and if it were a burden 
all ought to help to bear it." He succeeded 
in having Winslow serve three years, and 
Prince two. For thirty-one years Bradford 
served them faithfully as governor; and 
though the colony was small, the duties of 
the office were not light. He was required 
to be chief justice, minister of foreign affairs, 
and auditor of the treasury. There were also 
many lesser matters to which he was obliged 
to give his attention. For instance, when 
famine threatened, and the stock of grain 
was so reduced that they restricted them- 
selves to a quarter of a pound of bread a day 



THE FATHER OF AMERICAN HISTORY. 69 

for each person, the governor caused it to 
be given out daily, " otherwise, had it been 
in their own custodie, they would have eate 
it up and then starved." The governor also 
worked with them in the fields, and led out 
the men to their work every morning. 

At the town meetings, not only had mili- 
tary order been adopted, but also such 
civil laws and ordinances as were thought 
** behooveful for their present estate and 
condition." Soon after Bradford's elec- 
tion occurred the second offence requiring 
punishment. Two young men became en- 
gaged in a quarrel, and having brought over 
some Old World ideas, decided to settle it 
by a duel. With a sword in the right hand 
and a dagger in the left they fought until 
each had received a slight wound, and their 
honor was satisfied. But not so the honor of 
the colony. The Pilgrims considered it a 
disgrace; and the duellists were sentenced to 
lie in a public place, neck and heels tied 



70 OLD COLONY DA YS. 

together, for twenty-four hours. The punish- 
ment was begun ; but after an hour or two 
of suffering the culprits pleaded so earnestly 
that they were released. The treatment 
proved effectual ; for this was the first and 
last duel fought in the " old colony." 

The first summer of Bradford's administra- 
tion proved a busy one. Twenty-six acres 
were planted and tilled, — six in barley, 
wheat, and peas, and twenty or more in 
corn. By the advice of Squanto two or 
three herrings were placed in each hill of 
corn as a fertilizer. When we remember 
that they had neither horses nor cattle, that 
all the ground had to be broken up by hand, 
the many tons of herrings to be transported 
from Town Brook to the fields, and that their 
entire force consisted of twenty-one men and 
six boys, we may form some idea of their 
labors. At the end of the summer "The 
Street" contained seven dwelling-houses and 
four public buildings, — one used for worship 



THE FATHER OF AMERICAN HISTORY. /I 

and for town meetings, the others as depots 
for their crops, their provisions, and their 
trading stock. A fair harvest had been 
gathered, which with fish, game, and fruit 
furnished a variety of food. Besides all 
this, four expeditions had been made to 
estabHsh peaceable relations with the differ- 
ent tribes of Indians. In view of this gen- 
eral prosperity Governor Bradford appointed 
a day of Thanksgiving, " that they might 
after a special manner rejoice together after 
they had gathered the fruits of their labors." 
To be neighborly they invited Massasoit, 
who came, bringing ninety warriors with 
him. For three days they feasted and en- 
tertained this company, rehearsing for their 
benefit their military tactics and evolutions. 
Thus the great festival of Thanksgiving was 
inaugurated in New England, and we are 
glad to know that wild turkeys were a fea- 
ture of the feast. 

In November, just a year from the time 



72 OLD COLONY DA YS. 

the Pilgrims first sighted land, another ship 
arrived, the "Fortune," bringing to the colony 
an addition of thirty-five members. They 
were received with open arms, though as 
they had brought no provisions their arrival 
was somewhat inopportune. The colonists 
had prepared for winter ; but when they saw 
the number of mouths almost doubled, they 
were obliged to put OM^xy one upon half 
rations until spring. The second year fam- 
ine again "pinched them sore," while the 
third spring, by the time their corn was 
planted, *' all their victuals were spent, and 
they were only to rest on God's providence ; 
at night not many times knowing where to 
have a bite of anything the next day. And 
so, as one well observed, had need to pray 
that God would give them their daily bread, 
above all people in the world." Men were 
seen at noon-day, staggering for want of food. 
Elder Brewster, who had dined in palaces, 
and had often feasted the whole Scrooby 



THE FATHER OF AMERICAN HISTORY. 73 

congregation in his own house, sat down to 
his daily dinner of boiled clams and spring 
water, and thanked God that he and his were 
still allowed to "suck of the abundance of 
the seas and of the treasures hid in the 
sand." 

They now began to ask what they should 
do to raise greater crops of corn wherewith 
to prevent such misery. After long debate, 
the governor, with the advice of the chiefest 
among them, decided to let every man plant 
his own corn. This year, therefore, they 
assigned a *' parcel of land " to each family 
for its own use. ** This had very good suc- 
cess ; for it made all hands very industrious, 
so as much more corne was planted than 
otherwaise would have bene, by any means 
ye governor or any other could use, and 
saved him a great deall of trouble and gave 
farr better contente. The women now wente 
wilHngly into ye feild and tooke their litle 
ons with them to set corne which before 



74 OLD COLONY DAYS. 

would aledg weaknes, and inabilitie ; whom 
to have compelled would have bene thought 
great tiranie and oppression." 

Governor Bradford moralizes on this result 
to the effect that communism is not a suc- 
cess. " The experience that was had in this 
comone course and condition, tried sundrie 
years, and that amongst godly and sober 
men, may well evince the vanitie of that con- 
ceite of Platos and other ancients, applauded 
by some of later times ; — that ye taking 
away of propertie, and bringing in com- 
unitie into a comonewealth, would make 
them happy and florishing; as if they were 
wiser then God. For this comunltie, (so 
farr as it was) was found to breed much con- 
fusion and discontent, and retard much im- 
ploymet that would have been to their 
benefite and comforte. For ye yong-men 
that were most able and fitte for labour and 
service did repine that they should spend their 
time and streingth to worke for other men's 



THE FATHER OF AMERICAN HISTORY. 75 

wives and children, with out any recompence. 
The strong, or man of parts, had no more 
in devission of victails and cloaths, then he 
that was weake and not able to doe a quarter 
ye other could; this was thought injuestice. 
The aged and graver men to be ranked and 
equalised in labours, and victails, cloaths, etc., 
with ye meaner and yonger sorte, thought it 
some indiginitie and disrespect unto them. 
And for men's wives to be commanded to doe 
service for other men, as dresing their meate, 
washing their cloaths, etc., they deemd it a 
kind of slaverie, neither could many husbands 
well brooke it. . . . And would have bene 
worse if they had been men of another con- 
dition. Let none objecte this is men's cor- 
ruption, and nothing to ye course it selfe. 
I answer, seeing all men have this corruption 
in them, God in his wisdome saw another 
course fiter for them." 

By the new method a much larger crop 
was sown ; but for a time their greater in- 



76 " OLD COLONY DA YS. 

dustry and pains seemed in vain. From 
May to July there was a heavy drought, 
with such great heat that the corn began 
to wither away. A day of fasting was ap- 
pointed, — a day of solemn humiliation and 
prayer. They assembled in the fortified 
house on the hill-top, and the services con- 
tinued some eight or nine hours. When 
they began the heavens were as clear as 
ever; but as hour after hour passed by in 
prayer, the sky began to overcast, and at 
length came rain "with shuch sweete and 
gentle showers, as gave them cause of re- 
joyceing and blessing God. It came, without 
either wind, or thunder, or any violence, and 
by degreese in that abundance, as that ye 
earth was thorowly wete and soked ther- 
with." Winslow says, " It was hard to say 
whether their withered corn or drooping 
affections were most quickened or revived." 
The Indians were greatly impressed by this 
answer to prayer, particularly by the manner 



THE FATHER OF AMERICAN HISTORY. J "J 

of it; for when their conjurers brought rain, 
they said, it came in such torrents as to do 
more harm than good by beating down the 
crops. 

In this year the colony narrowly escaped 
complete destruction by the Indians. Mas- 
sasoit, whose life had been saved by Wins- 
low, in his gratitude revealed a plot of the 
Neponsets to kill every white man on the 
coast. Standish, by prompt and heroic 
measures, put an end to the conspiracy, and 
to all further hostility from the savages for 
many years. » 

This same eventful summer arrived two 
vessels, — the "Anne" and the "Little 
James," — bringing a reinforcement to the 
colony of sixty new members. " Some of 
them being very usefuU persons, and became 
good members to ye body, and some were ye 
wives and children of shuch as were hear 
allready. And some were so bad, as they 
were faine to be at charge to send them 



78 OLD COLONY DAYS. 

home again ye next year." Besides, there 
came some that did not belong to the gen- 
eral body, but were '' on their particular," 
as they called it; that is, they were subject 
to the general government, but were not 
under contract to the adventurers. These 
afterward caused trouble and disturbance. 
The new arrivals had come with high hopes, 
and great was their disappointment at what 
they found. *' When they saw their low 
and poore condition a shore, they were much 
danted and dismayed, and according to 
their diverse humores were diversly affected; 
some wished them selves in England againe; 
others fell a weeping, fancying their own 
miserie in what they saw now in others; 
other some pitying the distress they saw 
their friends had been long in, and still 
were under; in a word, all were full of sad- 
nes. . . . And truly it was no marvell they 
should be thus affected, for they were in a 
very low condition, many were ragged in 



THE FATHER OF AMERICAN HISTORY. 79 

aparell, and some litle beter than halfe 
naked. For food, they were all alike. The 
best dish they could presente their friends 
with was a lobster, or a peece of fish, with- 
out bread or anything els but a cupp of fair 
spring water. And ye long continuance of 
this diate and their labours abroad, had 
something abated ye freshnes of their former 
complexion." 

Among those who came in the " Anne " 
was Mistress Alice Southworth, who in less 
than a fortnight became the wife of Governor 
Bradford, — rather a short courtship, unless 
we may believe the old tradition that the 
two had been lovers in England many years 
before. Miles Standish also found a wife in 
the " Anne ; " and Barbara soon consoled 
him for the slight put upon him by Priscilla. 
When the harvest came, the famine was over. 
** The face of things was changed to the re- 
joicing of the hearts of many." The result 
of the individual labor was apparent; for 



80 OLD COLONY DAYS. 

every one had enough for the year, and some 
of the abler and more industrious had grain 
to sell. Edward Winslow had returned to 
England in the "Anne," and the next year 
he brought back four head of cattle, — "the 
first beginning of any cattle of that kind in 
the land." As John Alden and Priscilla had 
been married more than a year, the picture 
of Priscilla riding on a snow-white bull, on 
her wedding day, is an anachronism. The 
worst hardships of the Pilgrims were now 
over. With cattle and good crops, there was 
not to be any more suffering for food. The 
existence of the colony was assured. 

There were still, however, many trials and 
discouragements before the colonists. The 
death of John Robinson, their pastor in Ley- 
den, was a heavy sorrow ; for they had hoped 
each year that he would be able to join 
them. As Elder Brewster was not a clergy- 
man, and hence not able to administer the 
sacraments of baptism and the Lord's Sup- 



THE FATHER OF AMERICAN HISTORY. 8 1 

per, they felt that they were a flock without 
a shepherd. The Elder, however, was faith- 
ful in ** dispensing the gospel ; " and none 
were allowed to suffer for the lack of hear- 
ing the Word. ** For every Lords day some 
are appointed to visit suspected places, and 
if any be found idling, and neglect ye hear- 
ing of ye word (through idlnes or profanes,) 
they are punished for ye same." 

There was some internal dissension and 
hard feeling stirred up by those who came 
" on their particular." The story of John 
Oldham and Mr. Lyford, and of the colony's 
dealings with them, as told by Bradford, is 
intensely dramatic. But by wisdom of the 
governor all their plottings were brought 
to naught. There were also some very un- 
pleasant passages with their ill-conducted 
neighbors at Merrymount, who persisted in 
selling rum and firearms to the Indians. 
This "unruly nest" was at last broken up, 
and its leader sent to England. 
6 



82 OLD COLONY DAYS. 

The greatest trial of the colony during its 
first seven years of existence was its uncom- 
fortable relation with the adventurers who 
had furnished the capital for the enterprise. 
There were muttcrings and discontent on 
both sides. Many cargoes of beaver fur and 
clapboard had been sent back to England. 
In return they received no supplies, but only 
constant complaints and reproaches and 
some very undesirable settlers. In 1627 
they succeeded in buying out the entire 
interest of the adventurers for the sum of 
eighteen hundred pounds, payable in instal- 
ments. They thus became the owners of the 
land on which they were settled, and were 
able to make an equitable division of prop- 
erty. Bradford and seven others, who be- 
came the bondsmen of the colony, undertook 
to farm its trade, and to pay the whole in- 
debtedness. By the misconduct of their 
agent, Allerton, the debt was largely in- 
creased, but in time all was paid. They also 



THE FATHER OF AMERICAN HISTORY. 83 

expended several hundred pounds in bring- 
ing others of their number from Leyden. 
The time had now come when the Pilgrims 
were no longer alone on the continent. 
Encouraged by their success, hundreds, even 
thousands, of Englishmen had crossed the 
seas to escape persecution. They had 
neighbors at Salem, Boston, Dorchester, and 
elsewhere. It was a red-letter day when 
Governor Bradford travelled to Naumkeag 
(Salem) to give the little church there organ- 
ized the right hand of fellowship. 

When Bradford had filled the office of 
governor for twelve years, he succeeded in 
pressing Winslow into the service for one 
year. Winslow was succeeded by Prince; 
but the next year Bradford was again forced 
into the harness, which he wore, except for 
three short intermissions, until his death. 

It was a sorrowful day for the governor when 
some of the '' Mayflower's " passengers, — 
notably. Miles Standish, John Alden, and the 



84 OLD COLONY DAYS. 

Brewsters — took their families across the 
harbor to found the town of Duxbury. Brad- 
ford feared that this division of the church 
would provoke the Lord's displeasure, and 
considered an earthquake which occurred 
about that time a visible sign of such dis- 
approval. But the seceders remained, and 
others followed their example. By 1640 
the colony consisted of eight towns. The 
duties of the governor were heavier and 
more complex ; but he found time to con- 
tinue his history, to write a poem now and 
then, and to begin the study of Hebrew, that 
he might see with his own eyes something 
of that holy tongue in which the laws and 
oracles of God were written. Before leaving 
Holland he had studied Greek and Latin, 
French and Dutch. He was also well skilled 
in history, antiquity, philosophy, and theol- 
ogy, says Cotton Mather. And now in his 
old age he turned his attention to Hebrew. 
At the back of his manuscript history are 



THE FATHER OF AMERICAN HISTORY. 85 

several pages of Hebrew exercises in Brad- 
ford's writing, with the following note pre- 
fixed : *' Though I am growne aged, yet I 
have had a longing desire to see, with my 
owne eyes, something of that most ancient 
language, and holy tongue, in which the Law 
and oracles of God were write ; and in which 
God, and angels, spake to the holy patriarks 
of old time ; and what names were given to 
things, from the creation. And though I 
canot attaine to much herein, yet I am re- 
freshed to have seen some glimpse hereof 
(as Moyses saw the land of Canan a farr of). 
My aime and desire is, to see how words and 
phrases lye in the holy texte; and to dis- 
cerne somewhat of the same, for my owne 
contente." 

In 1655 Bradford filed eight objections to 
a re-election; but they were all overruled, 
and he was chosen governor for the thirtieth 
time. The following year he was again 
chosen, with Standish, as usual, for one of 



S6 OLD COLONY DAYS. 

the assistants. At the next annual meeting 
both their seats were vacant. Winslow had 
died the year before. That noble trio which 
had served the colony for so many years, the 
ready tongue, the firm hand, the wise brain, 
were all at rest. Bradford's body was carried 
to the top of Burial Hill. No religious ser- 
vices were held ; for that would have " sa- 
vored of Popery." The whole community 
stood quietly by till the grave was filled and 
a volley fired over it. The Pilgrims knew 
what they had lost, and so long as any sur- 
vivors of the ''Mayflower" were left, they 
loved to speak of Bradford as the '' Common 
blessing and father of us all." 



THE EARLY AUTOCRAT OF NEW 
ENGLAND. 



THE EARLY AUTOCRAT OF NEW 
ENGLAND. 

"XT O people in the world were ever more 
jealous of ritual and liturgy — the au- 
thority of church and priest — than the early 
settlers of New England. In their fear of a 
hierarchy they did not allow the clergy to 
hold certain offices, and they prevented them 
from officiating at funerals and weddings. 
The marriage ceremony was performed by 
magistrates. They disliked the word church, 
and called the place where they assembled 
for worship the ''meeting-house." 

In spite of all this watchful care against 
the form and letter of the hierarchy, no 
people were ever more thoroughly under the 
control of the clergy than these same early 
settlers of New England. The real auto- 
89 



90 OLD COLONY DAYS. 

crat of early New England was the Puritan 
preacher. And it was not alone from the 
pulpit that he exercised authority ; his hand 
was seen in every matter, great and small. 
The laws by which the colony was to be 
governed were framed by him. True, the 
code based on Joshua and Jeremiah, drawn 
up by " that godly, grave, and judicious 
divine," Mr. John Cotton, was rejected ; but 
the code which was finally adopted — the 
famous *' Body of Liberties" — was framed 
by another clergyman, — the Rev. Nathaniel 
Ward, of Ipswich. 

So great was the esteem and honor in 
which the clergy were held that " speaking 
slanderously or reproachfully of the minis- 
ter" was an offence to be met with dire 
punishment. The offender was required to 
" stand two hours openly upon a block four 
feet high, on a lecture day, with a paper 
fixed upon his breast, with the words ' A 
Wanton Gospeller ' written in capital let- 



EARL V A UTOCRA T OF NEW ENGLAND g I 

ters, that others might fear and be ashamed 
of breaking out into the hke wickedness." A 
man in Windham was punished for saying he 
** had rather hear his dog bark than to hear 
Mr. Bellamy preach," and promised there- 
after to put a guard upon his tongue. A 
New Haven man was whipped for saying he 
received no profit from the minister's ser- 
mons. Mistress Oliver, for " reproaching the 
elders," was forced to stand in public with a 
cleft stick on her tongue. In short, in most 
of the towns, " speaking deridingly of the 
minister's powers," or " casting uncharitable 
reflections on the minister," was a crime to 
be avoided. 

In laying out a new town, the first thing to 
be done was to select a site for a meeting- 
house ; the second step was setting aside fifty 
acres for the minister, — "it being as unnat- 
ural for a right New England man to live 
without an able ministry as for a Smith to 
work his iron without a fire," as Johnson tells 



92 OLD COLONY DA YS. 

US in his " Wonder Working Providence." 
In the Hst of things noted in 1629, which 
were needed for New England, the order is : 
"first, ministers; second. Patent under Seal; 
third, Seal ; " and after that, seed grains of 
various sorts. The reason for this ascend- 
ency of the clergy is not far to seek. One 
of the earliest Puritan preachers, the Rev. 
Francis Higginson, writes : " Let it never be 
forgotten, that our New England was origin- 
ally a plantation of religion and not a planta- 
tion of trade. And if there be a man among 
you who counts religion as twelve, and the 
world as thirteen, let such a one remember 
that he hath neither the spirit of a true New 
England man, nor yet of a sincere Christian." 
There were few indeed of the early colo- 
nists who counted religion as twelve and the 
world as thirteen. Religion stood first with 
them. The government which they thought 
to found was, as one of their number de- 
scribed it, a theocracy. They planned a sort 



EARL Y A UTOCRA T OF NEW ENGLAND. 93 

of '' Biblical Commonwealth, of which God 
should be the ruler and the Bible the statute 
book." They had no thought of founding a 
democracy. Said Cotton : '' Democracy I 
do not conceyve that ever God did ordeyne 
as a fitt government eyther for church or 
commonwealth. If the people be governors, 
who shall be governed?" They could con- 
ceive of no circumstances in which the Bible 
was not an explicit guide. To quote again 
from the Rev. John Cotton, who was one 
of their chief advisers : '' I am very apt to 
believe that the word and Scriptures of God 
doe conteyne a short upoluposis, or platforme, 
not only of theology, but also of other sacred 
sciences, attendants, and hand maids ther- 
unto, — ethicks, oeconomics, politics, church- 
government, prophesy, academy. It is very 
suitable to God's-all-sufficient wisdom, and to 
the fulness and perfection of Holy Scriptures, 
not only to prescribe perfect rules for the 
right ordering of a private man's soule, but 



94 OLD COLONY DA YS. 

also for the right ordering of a man's family, 
yea, of the commonwealth too. When a 
commonwealth hath liberty to mould his own 
frame, I conceyve the Scripture hath given 
full direction for the right ordering of the 
same." 

For more than ten years they had no other 
code of law than God's word. And when, in 
1641, the "Body of Liberties" was adopted, 
the preamble provided that *' in case of the 
defect of the law in any particular case, the 
matter should be decided by the word of 
God; according to that Word to be judged 
by the General Court." 

Under such a government, and with such 
a code, who would take a higher position 
than the men whose main business in life was 
to expound and explain the word of God 
and apply it to private life? Moreover, the 
clergy were the most learned men in the 
colony, and were well fitted to take part in 
its councils. They were, without exception, 



EARL V A UTOCRA T OF NE IV ENGLAND. 95 

graduates of the universities and men of 
ability. So it was only natural that in all 
grave and perplexing cases the pastors of 
the churches should be called in to counsel 
and advise with the General Court. 

There was no use for lawyers. We find 
but one lawyer in the colonial history of 
Boston, and he had a sorry time of it. This 
was Thomas Lechford, who, in his three 
years' residence, had but one case, and was 
all the time regarded with distrust and sus- 
picion by magistrates and people. He re- 
turned to England in disgust, and wrote one 
of the most interesting books on New Eng- 
land, called *' Plain Dealing." 

Another circumstance which added to the 
influence of the clergy was the limitation of 
the franchise. We have said that the colo- 
nists were not planning a democracy. They 
had their distinctions ; but the aristocracy 
which they planned was not to rest upon 
birth or wealth or conquest, but on the sin- 



96 OLD COLONY DA YS. 

giilar requisite of *' goodness." Their test of 
goodness was that men should worship God 
in the same way that they did ; and they 
therefore settled the question of the franchise 
very simply, by allowing none to vote who 
were not members of the church. The mo- 
tive assigned was, '' that the body of the 
commons may be possessed of good and 
honest men." We might think it would be 
easy to join the church for the sake of secur- 
ing one's political rights; but it was not so 
simple a matter as it looks to us. The con- 
ferring with the church officers, the being 
propounded, having one's past life examined, 
and making public rehearsal of one's pri- 
vate experience, made it a complex affair 
not to be lightly undertaken. There were 
times when not more than one fifth of the 
male population of Boston were church mem- 
bers and voters. 

But if deprived of the franchise, the non- 
voters were by no means deprived of church 



EARL V A UTOCRA T OF NE W ENGLAND. 97 

privileges. Indeed, these privileges were 
thrust upon them. Not only were they gov- 
erned by the churchly rules, and obliged to 
help support the pastor, but, whether they 
would or not, they had to listen to his ser- 
mons. If any one absented himself from 
church, he was hunted up by the tithing- 
man, and fined five shillings for the first 
offence. If he stayed away a whole month 
together, he could be put in the stocks or in 
the wooden cage. He had to come in time 
too. In Scituate, one Bryant entered the 
church after service had begun, and Parson 
Wetherell, at the close of his prayer, thus 
addressed him : " Neighbor Bryant, it is to 
your reproach that you have disturbed the 
worship by entering late, living as you do 
within a mile of this place; and especially so 
since here is Goody Barstow, who has milked 
seven cows, made a cheese, and walked five 
miles to the house of God in good season." 
The New Haven code of laws ordered that 
7 



98 OLD COLONY DAYS. 

profanation of the Lord's Day should be pun- 
ished by fine, imprisonment, or corporal pun- 
ishment; "and if proudly, and with a high 
hand against the authority of God, — with 
death:' 

Though it was dangerous to stay away from 
church, it was still more dangerous to go, 
unless one were able to place a guard upon 
one's tongue. We have seen how "Wanton 
Gospellers" fared; and the old records of 
the different towns are full of sentences 
against those whose criticisms were too free. 
" Nathaniel Haddock was sentenced to be 
severely whipped for declaring that he could 
receive no profit from Mr. H.'s preaching. 
Thomas Maule received ten stripes for de- 
claring that Mr. H. preached nothing but lies, 
and that his instruction was the doctrine of 
devils. The wife of Nicholas Phelps was sen- 
tenced to pay five pounds or be whipped, for 
asserting that this same Mr. H. sent abroad 
his wolves and bloodhounds among the sheep 



EARL Y A UTOCRA T OF NE W ENGLAND. 99 

and lambs." Nor was it enough to abstain 
from criticism. One had to give respectful 
attention to the sermon ; for the tithing-man 
was on the watch to see that every one kept 
awake. He had his rod, with a fox-tail on 
one end and a ball on the other. If it were a 
woman who fell asleep, her face was brushed 
with the fox-tail; if a man, he received a 
smart tap on the head from the ball end. 
Thomas Scott, of Lynn, was snoring so 
audibly that a sound rap was necessary to 
awaken him. He started up angrily, and 
knocked the officer down. For this offence 
he was taken to court and condemned to be 
severely whipped for " common sleeping" at 
public worship, and for striking him that 
waked him. Then the boys ! It is a relief 
to find how much akin these Puritan boys 
were to the boys of to-day. In the records 
of a justice of the peace in Connecticut are 
notes of their " rude and idel behavior in the 
meting hows, such as Smiling and Larfing, 



lOO OLD COLONY DAYS. 

and pulling the hair of his nayber, benoni 
Simkins in the time of pubHc worship." 
Some churches were obHged to allow twenty 
shillings a year to an officer for looking to 
the boys, and keeping peace in the church. 
It was no small task to sit still and keep 
awake during a sermon which lasted from 
two to three hours, and that, too, in a church 
without heat. Judge Sewall records that on 
one occasion the sacrament bread was frozen 
so hard that it rattled in the plate like beads. 
And still the congregation sat solemnly quiet 
until the minister got safely through his 
finally and lastly. 

If reverence for the minister was thus 
rigidly enforced, still more strict were the 
laws with regard to reverence for the church 
and all that it stood for. Profanity was one 
of the worst of crimes. A man in Hartford, 
for " his filthy and profane expressions, viz. 
that hee hoped to meet some of the members 
of the Church in Hell before long, and he 



EA RLY A UTO CRA T OF NE IV ENG LAND. I O I 

did not question but hee should," was com- 
mitted to prison, *' there to be kept in safe 
custody till the sermon, and then to stand 
the time thereof in the pillory, and after ser- 
mon to be severely whipped." Mr. Tomlin, 
of Lynn, was fined for saying, " Curse ye 
woodchuck ! " and Mr. Dexter was "putt in 
ye bilboes for prophane saying dam ye 
cowe ! " What would a Harvard student of 
to-day say to the case of Thomas Sargeant, a 
student, two hundred and twenty years ago ? 
'' Thomas Sargeant was examined by the Cor- 
poration : finally the advice of Mr. Danforth, 
Mr. Stoughton, Mr. Thatcher, Mr. Mather 
(then present) was taken. This was his 
sentence. That being convicted of speaking 
blasphemous words concerning the H. G.* 
he should be therefore publickly whipped 
before all the Scholars. 2. That he should 
be suspended as to taking his degree of 
Bachelour (this sentence read to him twice 
* The Holy Ghost. 



102 OLD COLONY DAYS. 

at the Pr'ts, before the committee, and in the 
Library . . . ) 3. Sit alone by himself in 
the Hall uncovered at meals, during the 
pleasure of the President and fellows, and be 
in all things obedient, doing what exercise 
was appointed him by the President, or else 
be finally expelled the Colledge. The first 
was presently put in execution in the Library, 
. . . before the Scholars. He kneeled down 
and the instrument Goodman Hely attended 
to the President's word as to the performance 
of his part in the work. Prayer was had 
before and after by the President."* It is 
safe to say that Thomas did not swear again 
in college. The prayer before and after the 
whipping is as characteristic of the times as 
the sentence itself. 

In a community where words were so 

carefully weighed and morals so closely 

watched, where the clergy made the laws, 

and the voters and office-holders had to be 

* Sewall's Diary. 



EARLY AUTO CRA T OF NEW ENGLA ND. 1 03 

church members, we can imagine the influ- 
ence and prestige of the preacher. There 
was no talk in that day of keeping pohtics 
out of the pulpit. To give his opinion on 
all public questions, and to inform his people 
of their duties, was a part of his task. The 
election sermon was one of the great events 
of the year. No pastor would neglect to tell 
his people how to vote. His preaching was 
not confined to the Sabbath. There was the 
''great and Thursday," as they called it, — 
the weekly lecture, which was to the seven- 
teenth century what the opera is to the nine- 
teenth. It was their one dissipation; and it 
became so much of a dissipation that the 
General Court had to interfere to regulate 
the hours. It was held on Thursday in Bos- 
ton, and on other days in the neighboring 
towns ; and there was much going back and 
forth on these days. Judge Sevvall often 
took long rides in order to be in Salem or 
elsewhere on lecture day, v/hich was a day of 



I04 OLD COLONY DAYS. 

visiting and hospitality. There were other 
things besides the Gospel to give zest to the 
Thursday lecture. On that day the names 
of those who were intending marriage were 
called aloud in the church. Those who 
had committed some misdemeanor were pub- 
licly reproved before the whole congrega- 
tion. Greater offenders were placed, during 
lecture hour, in the pillory, or the stocks, 
which stood on either side of the meeting- 
house. People with troubled consciences 
sometimes arose during the service and 
made confession of secret sins. It was also 
the day for the whipping-post. Therefore 
there was no knowing what event you might 
miss if you stayed away from the Thursday 
lecture. 

The life of a minister was not a sinecure. 
In addition to the Sunday sermons and the 
Thursday lecture, Mr. Cotton preached three 
times a week besides, — on Wednesday and 
Thursday evening and Saturday afternoon. 



EARL Y A UTOCRA T OF NEW ENGLAND. IO5 

He also held a daily lecture in his own 
house. Then there were the fast days and 
other special days, when he would " spend 
six hours in the word and in prayer." The 
Rev. Joshua Moody wrote four thousand ser- 
mons in his lifetime. Preaching was only 
one feature of the pastor's work. Among 
his other duties were catechising the chil- 
dren of the parish, listening to cases of con- 
science, giving counsel on every subject, and 
making pastoral visits. *' He must have five 
or six separate seasons for private prayer 
daily, devoting each day in the week to 
special meditations and intercessions — as, 
Monday to his family, Tuesday to enemies, 
Wednesday to the churches, Thursday to 
other societies, Friday to persons afflicted, 
and Saturday to his own soul." * He must 
have his fast days both public and private. 
And as nothing in the world was begun or 

* T. W. Higginson, Atlantic Essays, p. 199. 



I06 , OLD COLONY DAYS. 

ended without prayer, he must officiate very 

frequently in that way. 

One would think this clerical life was as 

full as it could be crowded ; but in addition 

to these manifold duties, the pastor often had 

to earn his own living, either by tilling the 

acres given him or by skill in some other 

direction ; for his salary was by no means in 

proportion to his authority. Parson Everett, 

of Sandwich, added to his slender income by 

sweeping the meeting-house and taking care 

of it, for which work he was paid the sum 

of three dollars a year. The same thrifty 

parson leased a fulling mill, and spent what 

leisure he had in cleansing the homespun 

clothes of his parishioners. Some of the 

pastors earned small sums by drawing up 

wills and other legal documents. Some 

studied medicine, and kept a stock of drugs 

for sale. The inscription on the grave of 

Michael Wigglesworth, at Maiden, records : 

*' Here lyes interd in silent grave below 
Maulden's Physician of Soul and Body too." 



EARL V A UTOCRA T OF NE JV ENGLAND. I O/ 

Others of the pastors were coopers, car- 
penters, millers, or cobblers. Many of them 
who had no trade at command received 
students into their families to prepare for 
college. 

It might be thought that in a community 
which was governed by the laws of Moses, 
which was settled in the wilderness, and 
removed from the temptations of cities, the 
pastor would have but little difficulty in 
keeping his flock in order, — that he would 
need to preach only doctrinal sermons. 
There were doctrinal sermons, it is true; for 
were there not eighty-two " pestilential her- 
esies " to contend against? But there were 
also many practical sermons. There were, 
as we have seen, " pnishouse, odious and 
Squerulous words " to be suppressed ; there 
were the fashions to be preached about, — 
the wearing of veils, and of "slashed apparel" 
and of '' immoderate great sleeves." And 
for the men there were sermons against long 



Io8 OLD COLONY DAYS. 

hair, and later, against the ungodly fashion of 
periwigs. If you think it is only in our day 
that people are the slaves of fashion, listen to 
what the Rev. Nathaniel Ward, of Ipswich, 
had to say to the women two hundred and 
forty years ago. He will borrow, he says, 
" a little of their loosed tongued liberty and 
misspend a word or two upon their long 
waisted but short skirted patience. I honor 
the woman that can honor herself with her 
attire; a good text always deserves a fair 
marfjent but as for a woman who lives but to 
ape the newest court fashions, I look at her 
as the very gizzard of a trifle, the product of 
a quarter of a cipher, the epitome of nothing; 
fitter to be kicked if she were of a kickable 
substance than either honored or humored. 
To speak moderately, I truly confess, it is 
beyond my understanding to conceive how 
these women should have any true grace or 
valuable virtue, that have so little wit as to 
disfigure themselves with exotic garbs, as 



EARL Y A UTOCKA T OF NE W ENGLAND. 1 09 

not only dismantles their native, lovely lustre 
but transclouts them into gaunt bar-geese, 
ill shapen shotten shellfish, Egyptian hiero- 
glyphics, or at the best into French flirts of 
the pastry, which a proper English woman 
should scorn with her heels. It is no marvel 
they wear drails on the hinder part of their 
heads ; having nothing, it seems, in the fore- 
part but a few squirrels' brains to help them 
frisk from one ill favored fashion to another." 
There were also sermons to be preached 
against the popish superstitions of keep- 
ing Christmas and saints' holidays. There 
were certain worldly practices and amuse- 
ments that new comers were trying to bring 
over. If we would see how they handled 
their subjects, we may read Increase Mather's 
sermon entitled, " Testimony against several 
popular and superstitious customs now prac- 
ticed by some in New England. Against 
stage plays, promiscuous dancing, health 
drinking, cards and dice and such like games. 



no OLD COLONY DAYS. 

Against profane Christmas keeping. Against 
New Year's gifts. Candlemas, Shrove Tues- 
day. The vanity of making cakes on such a 
day." 

As for more serious subjects, we learn 
from Cotton Mather with what enemies they 
had to contend. The seventh book of his 
remarkable Magnalia, entitled '* A Book of 
the Wars of the Lord," narrates the afflic- 
tive disturbances which the churches of New 
England have suffered from their various 
adversaries, viz. : '* the Devil, Separatists, 
Familists, Antinomians, Quakers, Clerical 
imposters and Indians." As for the first of 
these, we fear he is still abroad in the land ; 
and for the last of the seven, — the Indians 
— they were regarded as the natural children 
of the devil, his worshippers and followers. 
To exterminate them was to weaken the 
powers of darkness. Eliot and Mayhew, 
indeed, prayed for their conversion; but 
during King Phillip's War, Increase Mather 



EARL V A UTOCRA T OF NEW ENGLAND. 1 1 1 

prayed openly, in the pulpit, every Sunday, 
for the death of that miserable monarch. 
On a certain Sunday he forgot to insert that 
clause in his prayer, and was greatly troubled 
by the omission, until he learned afterward 
that his prayers had already been effectual, 

— that King Phillip had died before the Sun^ 
day in question. The other enemies men- 
tioned — Separatists, Familists, Antinomians, 
and Quakers — were, most of them, con- 
quered after long and bitter struggles, and 
driven forth into that ** Paradise of heretics," 

— Rhode Island. 

Not all of them, however, reached that 
haven. Some i^w were put to death. We 
who love New England may, indeed, wish 
that no Quakers had ever been hanged on 
Boston Common. But we may wish also 
that the Quakers had not chosen to go 
through the streets and into the churches 
naked, or clothed in sackcloth and ashes. 
And we must admit that even our tolerant 



112 OLD COLONY DAYS. 

modern divines would find it somewhat irri- 
tating to have people stand up in the congre- 
gation and interrupt the sermon with such 
epithets as these: ''Thou firebrand! thou 
moon-calf! thou gormandizing priest! thou 
bane of reason and beast of the earth ! " We 
must remember, too, that these disturbers of 
the peace were begged to leave in peace, and 
take themselves and their heresy elsewhere ; 
but that they persisted in returning to Bos- 
ton, and courted death by making them- 
selves as conspicuous as possible. We must 
remember also that the Quakers were not 
merely heretics ; they opposed themselves to 
the political order of things. They would 
not bear arms or pay taxes; they refused 
allegiance to the charter, and denied the 
authority of the laws. Moreover, it was not 
an age of toleration. Those who have said 
that our Puritan forefathers came here to 
found freedom of worship, and then turned 
persecutors themselves, have wholly mis- 



EARLY A UTOCRA T OF NE W EXGLAND. 1 1 3 

taken their motives. Liberty of worship was 
farthest from their thoughts. They came 
here to worship God in their own way; but 
they were just as certain that their way was 
the way as was ever Archbishop Laud him- 
self. They beHeved that the presence of 
such people would endanger the Common- 
wealth, and that they had a right to brand 
them with H. for heretic, and R. for rogue, 
and drive them from their midst. " Let us 
be just, even to the unjust!" says Colonel 
Hig^^inson. 

In any history of the founders of New 
England how many of the honored and 
familiar names belong to the ranks of 
the clergy! We cannot think of Hartford 
without Thomas Hooker; of Providence 
without Roger Williams ; of Cambridge with- 
out the '' holy, heavenly, sweet-afifecting, soul- 
ravishing Mr. Shephard ; " or of Boston 
without John Cotton and the three genera- 
tions of Mathers, — father, son, and grand- 



114 OLD COLONY DAYS. 

son. In the old burying-ground on Copp's 
Hill is a table-like monument bearing the 
names of Increase Mather and Cotton Mather. 
The names on the moss-covered stone are 
almost illegible, and the memory of them 
has also grown dim in men's minds; but no 
two men ever had greater influence in Boston 
than the two who lie in this forgotten grave. 

Historians refer to their day as the Mather 
dynasty. Increase Mather (whose name "was 
given him by his father because of the never- 
to-be-forgotten Increase, of every sort, where- 
with God favored the country, about the time 
of his Nativity,") was for more than sixty 
years the pastor of the old North Church, 
and during a great part of that time was 
also president of Harvard College. From 
his diaries we might think his whole life 
was given up to ecstatic prayers, divine 
afflations, and visions; but he gave the clos- 
est attention to public affairs. Although he 
held no office, no question of importance was 



EARL V A UTOCRA T OF NE IV ENGLAND. 1 1 5 

decided in Boston without his advice. In 
those dark days when Charles II. was de- 
manding the surrender of her charter from 
Massachusetts, the freemen of Boston met 
together, and invited Increase Mather to give 
them his views of this " Case of Conscience." 
He urged them to trust themselves in the 
hands of God rather than in the hands of 
men, — that is, to hold on to their charter. 
At the close of his " pungent speech, many 
of the Freemen fell into tears ; and there was 
a general acclamation, * We thank you, Syr. 
We thank you, Syr.' " The assembly voted 
against the surrender of the charter without 
a dissenting voice. 

When the charter was annulled by James 
II., and the hated governor, Sir Edmund 
Andros, sent over, Mr. Mather opposed with 
great plainness every encroachment of the 
new government. Andros and his associates 
recognized his power, and paid him the com- 
pliment of hating him thoroughly. '' New 



Il6 OLD COLONY DAYS. 

England's Mahomett," they called him, — 
** The Bellows of Sedition and Treason." 
When the tyranny of Andros became unen- 
durable, and the colony decided to send an 
agent to England to complain of it and to 
labor for a new charter, Mr. Mather was 
chosen for the mission. He had two or 
three audiences with King James, and ob- 
tained fair promises from the crafty king ; 
but before anything was done, James was 
obliged to flee, and the power passed into 
the hands of William and Mary. The new 
monarchs had so many important problems 
to solve that they could not, at first, give 
special thought to the colonies across the 
sea. Therefore they issued a circular letter 
to all the colonies, confirming the old gov- 
ernors until further orders. This would rein- 
state Sir Edmund Andros. But, in the 
mean time, the people of Boston, as soon as 
they heard of the revolution in England, had 
risen up in revolt, had placed Andros and 



EARL V A UTOCRA T OF NE W ENGLAND. 1 1 / 

his associates in prison, and had restored the 
old government as it was under the charter. 
Increase Mather knew that if Andros were 
restored to power, though only for a short 
time, he would bitterly revenge himself for 
the indignities he had suffered. Mather, 
therefore, took upon himself the responsi- 
bility of interfering with the royal letter, and 
in some way succeeded in stopping it. He 
then waited upon the king and queen at 
every opportunity, and pressed the claims of 
New England. With all his efforts he could 
not obtain the restoration of the old charter; 
and the charter that he finally secured was 
very unsatisfactory to the colonists. It left 
to the king the appointment of a governor. 
There were some advantages, however, which 
they failed to appreciate. Although the 
crown appointed the governor, the colonists 
paid him, and in their own way ; and that 
gave them a hold upon the royal governors 
which they did not fail to use, down to the 



Il8 OLD COLONY DAYS. 

time of the Revolution. The king showed 
his appreciation of Mr. Mather's importance 
by the singular favor of allowing him to 
choose the new governor, as well as the other 
officers to be appointed by the crown. Mr. 
Mather chose for the first governor that 
famous knight, Sir William Phipps, whose 
history is a romance by itself 

The new charter had one provision which 
was very distasteful, even to Mr. Mather. 
It extended the franchise to allow other than 
church members to vote. This, so far as the 
power of the clergy was concerned, was the 
" beginning of the end." Increase Mather 
was the last possessor of the almost absolute 
power of the Puritan clergy. Nevertheless, 
for a time, nearly equal power and importance 
belonged to his son, Cotton Mather, who was 
descended not only from the Mathers, but 
from the " father and glory of Boston," — 
John Cotton. An epitaph was written for 
his grandfather, — 



EARL V A UTOCRA T OF NE W ENGLAND. 1 1 9 

" Here lies Richard Mather, 
Who had a son greater than his father, 
And a grandson greater than either." 

We can best understand the spirit of those 
old Puritan divines, and the atmosphere in 
which they lived, by a glance at Cotton 
Mather's childhood. Truly, in his case, the 
child was father to the man. He began to 
pray, he says, when he began to speak. He 
used secret prayer, not confining himself to 
forms. But when he was seven or eicfht 
years old, he composed forms of prayer for 
his schoolmates and obliged them to pray. 
"I rebuked my playmates for their wicked 
words and ways; and sometimes suffered 
from them the persecution of not only Scoffs 
but Blows also, for my rebukes." His chief 
fault, he says, was idleness ; yet we find that 
at the age of eleven he could speak Latin so 
readily that he was able to write the notes 
of sermons in that language. He had con- 
versed with Cato, Terence, Tully, Ovid, and 



I20 OLD COLONY DAYS. 

Virgil, had made epistles and themes, had 
gone through a great part of the New Testa- 
ment in Greek, had read considerably in 
Socrates and Homer, and had made some 
entrance into Hebrew grammar. Before he 
came to the age of fourteen, he had *' com- 
posed Hebrew exercises and ran through the 
other sciences." At twelve he was admitted 
to Harvard College, and graduated at six- 
teen. When he took his second degree, the 
subject of his thesis was, "The Hebrew vowel 
points are of divine origin." 

He was but twenty years old when he was 
called to be his father's assistant in the North 
Church; and he remained minister of that 
church all his life. A leaf from his diary 
gives a glimpse of his daily life at this time. 
"Read Exodus, 34, 35, 36. Prayed, Exam- 
ined the children; read Descartes; read com- 
mentators ; breakfasted ; prepared sermon ; 
took part in family prayer; heard pupils 
recite; read Salmon on medicine; dined; 



EARL Y A UTOCRA T OF NEW ENGLAND. \ 2 1 



visited many friends; read various books; 
prepared sermon ; heard pupils recite ; med- 
itated; prayed; supped; prepared sermon; 
took part in family prayer." As the record 
of a week's work we find that he preached 
on Lord's Day and on Monday, Tuesday, 
Wednesday, and Thursday. He very often 
preached five times in one week, and some- 
times five times in two days. In one year he 
observed sixty private fast days and twenty 
vigils. On one occasion two friends hap- 
pened in when he was busy with a private 
fast, and instead of giving it up, he "preached 
unto them three sermons, each of them about 
an hour long apeece." Naturally, with so 
much fasting and prayer, he saw visions. 
At one time an angel appeared to him in 
white and shining robes, with wings and a 
tiara. He had also his personal encounters 
with the devil. He records his temptations in 
Latin, for fear, as he adds in Latin, - lest my 
dear wife, sometime looking over these papers. 



122 OLD COLONY DAYS. 

should understand it." What wonder then 
that he beheved not only in the bad spirits 
and the good, but also in demoniacal posses- 
sion, and was firmly convinced that certain 
people had sold themselves to the devil, and 
had become witches ! The darkest stain upon 
the name of Cotton Mather is his relation 
to the witchcraft tragedy. There are those 
who still refuse to believe him sincere in that 
matter, who accuse him of having fomented 
the excitement in order to restore his own- 
and his father's waning power. But the more 
we see him as he saw himself, and the more 
we study his diary, the more we are con- 
vinced that, however misguided, he was sin- 
cere. There was no question of not believing 
in witchcraft. Everybody believed in witch- 
craft. The history of that remarkable craze 
is another story, and it is only touched upon 
here because of the obloquy which has at- 
tached to Cotton Mather on account of it. 
Historians have left a terrible picture of him 



EARL V A UTOCRA T OF NE W ENGLAND. 1 23 

on his white horse, riding around the com- 
mon, during the hanging of the witches, stir- 
ring the people up to greater fury. But 
there is no doubt that, with his emotional 
and excitable nature, Cotton Mather felt that 
he was waging a personal war with Satan 
for the control of New England. 

Of his emotional nature we have many 
proofs in his diaries. He is always on the 
mountain-top or in the valley. He is either 
** under a divine afflatus, wonderfully irradi- 
ated," or else he is full of " dejected and 
abasing thoughts of his own extraordinary 
vileness." He is frequently prostrate on his 
study floor, in the dust; and he speaks of 
leaving floods of tears upon the floor. When 
preparing a sermon, he says, '* I first laid my 
sinful mouth in the Dust on my Study-floor 
before the Lord, where I cast myself, in my 
supplications for His Assistance and Accept- 
ance, as utterly unworthy thereof." It is 
difficult for us to conceive of the extremely 



124 OLD COLONY DAYS. 

personal character of his reh'gion, — his 
constant communication with the " invisible 
world." His relations with the devil were 
equally personal. One Sunday morning 
Satan's emissaries stole the carefully pre- 
pared notes of his sermon. He entered the 
pulpit, nevertheless, and preached extempore. 
" So the divil got nothing out of it," he said. 
When the demons brought their books for 
the possessed to sign away their souls, he 
regarded it as a direct defiance from hell 
against his efforts; for he worked for God 
by writing books. After this challenge he 
worked more busily at it than ever. The 
titles of his printed works number three hun- 
dred and eighty-three, — all of them religious 
or theological. It was a poor year that did 
not bring out ten or twelve works from his 
pen. His great work, his labor of love, was 
the '' Magnalia Christi Americana," or, the 
*' Ecclesiastical History of New England." 
Considered as literature, the Magnalia is very 



EARLY A UTOCRA T OF NE W ENGLAND. 1 2 5 

dull reading; but as a mirror of the Puritan 
style of thinking, it is invaluable. 

We have seen that the new charter, which 
gave the privilege of voting to non-church 
members, dealt a heavy blow to the clergy. 
The witchcraft tragedy finally broke the 
power of the theocracy. For the last thirty 
years of their lives, the Mathers — father and 
son — fought an ever-losing battle against the 
new order of things. They used every means 
in their power, both fair and foul, historians 
say, to restore the polity of the fathers. But 
all in vain. The theocracy could not be 
restored. The old regime ended with the 
Mathers. The ministers of the eighteenth 
century occupied a very different position 
from those of the nineteenth. The keys of 
heaven and hell they might still hold, but the 
management of the affairs of this world was 
taken out of their hands. The days of the 
autocrat were over ! 



AN OLD-TIME MAGISTRATE. 



AN OLD-TIME MAGISTRATE. 

'^ I ^HE seventeenth century was fortu- 
-^ nate in possessing three of the most 
princely gossips that ever hved, — Saint 
Simon in France, the immortal Pepys in 
England, and the good Judge Sewall in Bos- 
ton. Each of these men wrote down from 
day to day, apparently for his own use, the 
occurrences of the day, — the details of the 
life about him ; and each has given us an 
incomparable picture of the world in which 
he lived, — a picture which no historian, biog- 
rapher, poet, or painter could have equalled. 
And they have painted three widely differing 
worlds. Nothing could better illustrate the 
differences between the countries they repre- 
sent than the pages of these old diaries of 
the seventeenth century. 
9 129 



I30 OLD COLONY DAYS. 

With Saint Simon the world means the 
Court of France, and the problem of life re- 
solves itself into a question of precedence. 
The privilege of being present at the petit 
lever and the petit coiLcJier, the king's get- 
ting up and the king's going to bed, is an 
honor worth any amount of striving and 
fighting and fawning. Life has no higher 
reward than the honor of being chosen to 
place upon the sacred body of majesty the 
royal shirt. What conflicts, what heart burn- 
ings, what cruel disappointments, what bitter 
enmities in that long and weary struggle over 
the all-important question as to which of the 
peers are entitled to keep their hats on in 
the king's presence ! Saint Simon, it is true, 
does sometimes take a look at the busy, 
swarming multitude who live outside the 
palace of Versailles, but only as a man 
somewhat interested in natural history might 
watch with curiosity the habits of the animals 
which were created for his comfort and sup- 



AN OLD-TIME MAGISTRATE. 131 

port. There is enough of corruption and im- 
morality in the great palace; intrigue and 
scandal are the daily food of this nobility, 
so proud of its birth. But it is sin with its 
dress-coat on, taking itself seriously, which is 
almost as dull and uninteresting as virtue 
itself. 

In the pages of Pepys we still have some- 
thing of the Court; but it is no longer the 
Court of the grand monarch; it is the Court 
of Charles II. and Nell Gwynne. The sub- 
ject of life is no longer dignity, but pleasure. 
Pepys tells us over and over again that he 
had a " mighty good time," that it was 
" mighty pleasant," that he and his friends 
were " mighty merry together." There is 
plenty of good eating and drinking, and 
sometimes the cheerful record, ** drunk and 
so to bed." There are actors and actresses, 
and " drunken, roaring courtiers." There are 
hundreds of interesting people who have 
nothing to do with the Court. For Pepys 



132 OLD COLONY DAYS. 

confesses that he hobnobs with "tag, rag, and 
bobtail," and often spends his nights in danc- 
ing, singing, and drinking. When we go to 
the play, we go behind the scenes and joke 
and carry on with the actress ; and poor 
Pepys sometimes carries this so far that his 
wife, in her jealousy, waves the tongs over 
his head, and threatens a beating. Pepys, in 
his turn, is jealous, and has been known to 
give his wife a black eye. But we must not 
forget that in spite of all this he is a respec- 
table man, occupying a prominent public po- 
sition. As to his moral standard, he thinks 
it is not decent to be more honest than those 
around him. In regard to his taxes, he feels 
some scruples about cheating, but fears it 
would " be thought vain glory " if he did 
differently from the rest. So, rather than 
appear eccentric, he will remain a thief. He 
says he will not be bribed to be unjust, but 
is '* not so squeamish as to refuse a present 
after." There is immorality enough in this 



AN OLD-TIME MAGISTRATE. 1 33 

world of Pepys; but it wears its every-day 
clothes, and is vastly more interesting than 
the stately vice which solemnly parades itself 
in the pages of Saint Simon. 

Turning from these books to the diary of 
Judge Sewall is like turning away from the 
footlights, and from the heavy, unnatural at- 
mosphere of the theatre, to come out into 
the pure air, under a clear sky. For a 
glimpse of his moral standpoint as compared 
with theirs, take this incident which the judge 
records with pain: "September 3d 1686 — 
Mr. Shrimpton, Captain Lidget and others 
come in a Coach from Roxbury about nine 
o'clock or past, singing as they come, being 
inflamed with Drink. At Justice Morgan's 
they stop and drink Healths, curse, swear, 
talk profanely and baudily, to the great dis- 
turbance of the Town and grief of good 
people. Such high handed wickedness has 
hardly been heard of before in Boston." 
There we have the worst that can be said 



134 OLD COLONY DAYS. 

of Boston. A few drunken rowdies riding 
through the streets — an every-day affair in 
London — is the most high-handed wicked- 
ness this Puritan community has ever known. 

The diary of Judge Sewall fills four volumes 
of the Massachusetts Historical Society's col- 
lection, and is a storehouse to which the stu- 
dent must always go, if he would understand 
the New England Puritan of the second 
generation. The worthy magistrate little 
dreamed, as he jotted down from day to day 
the doings of himself, his family, and his 
neighbors, including their little peculiarities 
and peccadilloes, that he was bestowing a 
boon for which posterity would never cease 
to be grateful. 

The author of the diary was Samuel 
Sewall, a resident of New England for sev- 
enty years, and, for a great part of that 
period, one of her magistrates. His father, 
Henry Sewall, '' out of dislike to the English 
Hierarchy," came to this country in 1634, 



AJV OLD-TIME MAGISTRATE. 1 35 



and settled in Newbury. He married there ; 
but a little later, when the rule of Cromwell 
made England more tolerable for the Puri- 
tans, he returned to the old home. Samuel 
was born at Bishop Stoke in 1652. The 
restoration of the worst of the Stuarts — King 
Charles II. — brought the family back to 
New England in 1661, when Samuel was 
nine years old. After five years' instruction 
from the Rev. Mr. Parker, the blind preacher 
of Newbury, he entered Harvard College at 
the age of fourteen. The college was still 
very primitive. The tuition was paid in 
produce; and the government of the stu- 
dents was strictly paternal, corporal punish- 
ment being by no means uncommon. Yet 
they turned out good, solid men. Unfortu- 
nately, Sewall's diary does not begin until 
after his college days. After graduation he 
became a Resident Fellow of the college, and 
was keeper of the library. He was strongly 
inclined to the ministry ; and among the first 



136 OLD^ COLONY DAYS. 

entries of the journal it is frequently set down 
that he ** commonplaced," — i. e., delivered 
religious discourses to the students. He re- 
cords also his first sermon, when, " being 
afraid to look on the glass, he ignorantly and 
unwittingly stood two hours and a half" 
He was for some time undecided as to the 
choice of a profession, and was greatly exer- 
cised with regard to his " spiritual estate." 
But at last he gave up the idea of the minis- 
try, and settled down into a devout and con- 
scientious layman. 

We get curious glimpses into the Puritan 
habit of mind from the pious reflections he 
was wont to make in connection with the 
most ordinary and trivial events. When he 
fed his chickens, he reflected on his own 
need of spiritual food, and hoped that he 
should not nauseate daily duties of prayer, 
etc. When he sat down to a solitary dinner 
of baked pigeons, he prayed that he might 
be "wise as a Serpent and as harmless as a 



AJV OLD-TIME MAGISTRATE. 1 37 

Dove." When he is weighed, he prays that 
*' the Lord may add or take away from our 
corporal weight, so as shall be most advan- 
tageous for our spiritual growth." Feeling, 
on the Lord's Day, " dull and heavy and list- 
less as to spiritual Good; Carnal, Lifeless ;" 
he sighed to God that he would quicken him. 
The next day, when his house is broken into 
and twenty pounds' worth of silver and linen 
stolen, he regards it as an answer to his 
prayer, because he was helped to submit to 
the stroke. When the thief is caught and 
put in prison, *' the stroke is turned into a 
kiss of God." 

In 167I Sewall was married to Hannah 
Hull, daughter of Capt. John Hull of pine- 
tree shilling fame. Mistress Hannah had 
been present at Harvard when the young stu- 
dent took his degree, and had set her affec- 
tions on him at that time, although he knew 
nothing of it until after their marriage, two 
years later. The diary makes no mention of 



138 OLD COLONY DAYS. 

the marriage; but tradition tells us that the 
bride was valued as worth her weight in sil- 
ver, and that the carefully weighed amount 
went with her as her dowry. Many times 
was the husband called upon to stand in the 
Old South Church and offer up to God in 
baptism a tiny morsel of humanity. Some 
of these children died in infancy ; but others 
always came to take their places, ** so that by 
the underserved goodness of God," says the 
father, ** we were never without a child." 
P'ourteen children were born from this mar- 
riage ; and scattered through the pages of 
the diary are quaint pictures of the solemn 
life of the staid little Puritans. The father 
sadly records: ''November 6, 1692. Joseph 
threw a knop of brass and hit his Sister Betty 
on the forhead so as to make it bleed and 
swell; upon which, and for his playing at 
Prayer-time, and eating when Return Thanks, 
I whipd him pretty smartly. When I first 
went in (call'd by his Grandmother) he sought 



AN OLD- TIME MAGISTRATE. 139 



to shadow and hide himself from me behind 
the head of the Cradle: which gave me the 
sorrowful! remembrance of Adam's carriage." 
Joseph, at this time, when he committed the 
sin of eating when thanks was being returned, 
and playing in prayer time, was four years 
old. 

Poor little Betty's troubles, however, were 
the worst. How one's heart aches for the 
poor little tortured soul! Betty's troubles 
began when she was only eight years old, 
when it fell to her share to read in family 
prayer the twenty-fourth chapter of Isaiah 
with its dread pictures of the judgments of 
God. Betty read with many tears; and the 
contents of the chapter, and sympathy with 
her, drew tears from the father also. When 
Betty was about fifteen, Judge Sewall came 
home one night to find the family in distress. 
" She had given some signs of dejection and 
sorrow; but a little after diner she burst out 
into an amazing cry, which caused all the 



I40 OLD COLONY DAYS. 

family to cry too ; Her Mother asked the 
reason ; she gave none ; at last she said she 
was afraid she should goe to Hell, her sins 
were not pardon'd. She was first wounded 
by my reading a Sermon of Mr. Norton's 
about the 5th of Jan. Text Jno. 7.34. Ye 
shall seek me and shall not find me. And 
those words in the Sermon Jno. 8.21. Ye 
shall seek me and shall die in your sins, ran 
in her mind, and terrified her greatly. And 
staying at home Jan. 12 she read out of 
Mr. Cotton Mather — Why hath Satan filled 
thy heart, which increas'd her Fear. Her 
Mother ask'd her whether she pray'd. She 
answer'd Yes; but feared her prayers were 
not heard because her Sins not pardon'd." 
The pastor was sent for and '* pray'd excel- 
lently, but without effect." 

For a whole week the child had been 
carrying this dreadful fear before she spoke 
of it. A few weeks later the father writes: 
"Feb. 22, 169! — Betty comes in to me 



AN OLD-TIME MAGISTRATE. 141 

almost as soon as I was up and tells me the 
disquiet she had when waked; told me was 
afraid should go to Hell, was like Spira, not 
Elected. Ask'd her what I should pray for, 
she said, that God would pardon her Sin and 
give her a new heart. I answer'd her Fears 
as well as I could, and pray'd with many 
Tears on either part; hope God heard us. 
I gave her solemnly to God." Two months 
later he records : *' Betty can hardly read her 
chapter from weeping ; tells me she is afraid 
she is gon back, does not taste that sweet- 
ness in reading the Word which once she 
did ; fears that what was once upon her is 
worn off. I said what I could to her and in 
the evening pray'd with her alone." Betty's 
fears were never entirely allayed. This ter- 
rible shadow of non-election darkened her 
life even after she was married and had chil- 
dren of her own. On the day of her death 
her father wrote sadly : " I hope God has 
delivered her now from all her fears." 



142 OLD COLONY DAYS. 

Little Sam also had his doubts and fears. 
He was ten years old when a playmate died 
of small-pox. The judge thought he ought 
to ** tell Sam. of it and what need he had to 
prepare for Death, and therefore to endeavor 
really to pray when he said over the Lord's 
Prayer: He seemed not much to mind, eat- 
ing an Aple; but when he came to say, Our 
father, he burst out into a bitter Cry, and 
when I ask't what was the matter and he 
could speak, he burst out into a bitter Cry 
and said he was afraid he should die. I 
pray'd with him, and read Scriptures com- 
forting against death, as, O death where is 
thy sting etc. All things yours. Life and 
Immortality brought to light by Christ etc." 
Perhaps Sam's fears were heightened by the 
fact that his father had, not long before, cor- 
rected him for breach of the ninth command- 
ment, — for saying he had been at the writing 
school when he had not. 

Sewall had the greatest confidence in his 



AN OLD-TIME MAGISTRATE. 1 43 

wife, as is shown by an entry made in the jour- 
nal many years after his marriage, — "Jan. 
24, I /of. . . . Took 24 s. in my pocket, and 
gave my Wife the rest of my cash £^ 3-8, 
and tell her she shall now keep the Cash; If 
I want I will borrow of her. She has a better 
faculty than I at managing Affairs: I will 
assist her; and will endeavor to live upon 
my Salary; will see what it will doe. The 
Lord give his Blessing." 

Sewall held many public offices after he 
gave up the ministry. In 1678 he was one 
of the perambulators of bounds for Muddy 
River. In 168 1 he was appointed to under- 
take the management of the printing press in 
Boston. He was one of a committee to draw 
up instructions for the deputies. In 1683 he 
was chosen one of the seven commissioners 
of the town to assess rates. In the same 
year he became a member of the General 
Court, — i. e., a deputy. Later he was made 



144 OLD COLONY DAYS. 

His first years in office were the darkest 
years in New England. He had but just 
been made deputy when the king, Charles H., 
demanded the return of the charter from the 
colony. *' A great town meeting was held in 
the old South Meeting House, and the mod- 
erator requested all who were for surrender- 
ing the charter to hold up their hands. Not 
a hand was lifted, and out from the throng 
a solitary voice exclaimed, with deep drawn 
breath, ' The Lord be praised ! ' Then arose 
Increase Mather, president of Harvard Col- 
lege, and reminded them how their fathers did 
win this charter, and should they deliver it 
up into the spoiler who demanded it even as 
Ahab required Naboth's vineyard. Oh ! their 
children would be bound to curse them." 
When the news of this meeting reached Lon- 
don, the charter of the colony was at once 
annulled. The loss of their charter meant 
much to these men of Massachusetts. It 
meant not only that they could no longer 



AN OLD-TIME MAGISTRATE. 145 

elect one of their own number as governor, 
but that they must be ruled by whomsoever 
the king would send over; it meant not only 
that the foundations were taken away on 
which all their institutions, political and ec- 
clesiastical, rested ; it meant also that all their 
lands reverted to the crown; that the land 
titles of individuals, which had rested on the 
charter, were void ; that the owners could no 
longer hold their lands except by paying quit 
rent to the king. 

There is little of definite history in Sewall's 
record, but there is much insight into the 
strained relations existing between the new 
governor, Andros, and the people. One 
cause of ill will was his appropriating the 
Old South Meeting-House for the service of 
the Church of England. He enjoyed the 
joke of prolonging his services, and keeping 
the humiliated Puritans outside for an hour 
or two in the cold, awaiting their turn. This 
dispute finally led to the building of King's 
10 



146 OLD COLONY DAYS. 

Chapel, — the first Episcopal church in New 
England. 

During the rule of Andros, Sewall made a 
journey to London, not only to look after 
property there, but to join with Increase 
Mather and others of the colony who were 
there, in the effort to obtain a restoration of 
the charter. It was characteristic that before 
sailing he invited his friends to hold a day 
of prayer at his home. " Mr. Williard pray'd 
and preached excellently from Ps. 143. 10; 
pray'd. Intermission. Mr. Allen pray'd, 
then Mr. Moodey, both ver}^ well, then 3d-7th 
verses of the 86th Ps., sung Cambridge short 
Tune, which I set." On his return he again 
invited in his friends, to the number of 
twenty, for a service of gratitude. ** Mr. 
Cotton Mather returned Thanks in an excel- 
lent maner. Sung part of the Six and 
fifteth Psalm. I set it to Windsor Tune." 

Just as Sewall arrived in England, he was 
met by the report of the flight of James 11. 



AJV OLD-TIME MAGISTRATE. i^j 



and the landing of William and Mary. When 
the news reached Boston, there was great re- 
joicing. Bells were rung; guns were fired; 
the citizens came together and clapped the 
obnoxious governor into prison. They chose 
old Simon Bradstreet, then eighty-seven years 
of age, to be their governor once more. 
They hoped for a restoration of the charter. 
But William and Mary, though favorably dis- 
posed toward Massachusetts, were resolved 
to govern it in their own way. The new 
charter was very different from the old. The 
governors were to be appointed by the crown, 
instead of elected by the people. All laws 
passed by the legislature were to be sent to 
England for royal approval; and the fran- 
chise was not to be limited to church mem- 
bers. Massachusetts was no longer a colony. 
She had become a royal province. 

Judge Sewall returned to Boston, and held 
office under the new regime as he had under 
the old. He had grave and troublous prob- 



148 OLD COLONY DAYS. 

lems to study. It was the time of the terrible 
witchcraft excitement. The idea that certain 
people had sold themselves to the devil and 
were tormenting their neighbors had taken 
firm hold of the public mind. A hundred 
persons were in jail, accused of witchcraft. 
The governor, Sir William Phipps, appointed 
a special commission, consisting of seven men, 
to try these cases. Judge Sevvall was one of 
the seven. By their decision twenty innocent 
people were put to death. Then came the 
reaction. The eyes of magistrates and people 
were opened. They saw their mistake. A 
day was appointed for fasting and prayer, on 
account of what might have been done amiss 
** in the late tragedy, raised among us by 
Satan and his instruments, through the awful 
judgment of God." When sickness and death 
came into Judge Sewall's family, he looked 
upon it as a direct punishment for his own 
part in this miserable matter. He winced 
when Sam, reciting his Latin Scripture les- 



AN OLD-TIME MAGISTRATE. 1 49 

son, came to this verse: "If ye had known 
what this meaneth, I will have mercy and not 
sacrifice, ye would not have condemned the 
guiltless." It " did awfully bring to mind the 
Salem Tragedie," he says. He " put up a 
bill" for public prayers. There is no more 
impressive and solemn moment in the life of 
Judge Sewall than that when he stood up in 
the South Meeting-House, and listened with 
bowed head to his own public confession 
read as follows : " Samuel Sewall, sensible of 
the reiterated strokes of God upon himself 
and family; and being sensible, that as to the 
Guilt contracted upon the opening of the late 
Commission of Oyer and Terminer at Salem 
(to which the order for this Day relates) he is, 
upon many accounts, more concerned than 
any that he knows of, Desires to take the 
Blame and shame of it. Asking pardon of 
men, And especially desiring prayers that 
God, who has an Unlimited Authority, would 
pardon that sin and all other his sins; per- 



150 OLD COLONY DAYS. 

sonal and Relative : And according to his 
infinite Benignity and Sovereignty, Not Visit 
the sin of him, or of any other, upon himself 
or any of his, nor upon the Land : But that 
He would powerfully defend him against all 
Temptations to Sin, for the future ; and 
vouchsafe him the efficacious, saving Con- 
duct of his Word and Spirit." 

None of Sewall's associates in the unhappy 
business followed his example in doing pen- 
ance publicly. When the chief judge of the 
witch trials, Lieutenant-Governor Stoughton, 
heard of it, he said he had no such confes- 
sion to make, as he had acted according to 
the best light God had given him. 

Sewall's repentance did not end with this 
public confession and humiliation. Tradi- 
tion tells us that every year, for forty years, 
he set aside a day for prayer and fasting, in 
remembrance of this greatest mistake of his 
life. Whittier has preserved this tradition in 
his beautiful ballad : — 



AJV OLD-TIME MAGISTRATE. 151 

" Touching and sad, a tale is told, 
Like a penitent hymn of the Psalmist old, 
Of the fast which the good man lifelong kept 
With a haunting sorrow that never slept. 

All the day long from dawn to dawn, 
His door was bolted, his curtain drawn; 
No foot on his silent threshold trod, 
No eye looked on him save that of God, 
As he baffled the ghosts of the dead with charms 
Of penitent tears, and prayers, and psalms, 
And, with precious proofs from the sacred word 
Of the boundless pity and love of the Lord, 
His faith confirmed and his trust renewed 
That the sin of his ignorance, sorely rued, 
Might be washed away in the mingled flood 
Of his human sorrow and Christ's dear blood ! " 

Whether he kept this anniversary or not, 
fasts were not infrequent with Judge Sewall. 
PubHc fasts were appointed, and these he re- 
ligiously kept. He was often invited to the 
houses of his friends to observe a fast with 
them, and he frequently entertained them in 
the same way. In addition he had his own 
private fasts. When affliction visited him, 
when he had some question to decide, or 



152 OLD COLONY DAYS. 

when he was about to engage in some under- 
taking on which he desired the blessing of 
the Lord, he spent a day in prayer and fast- 
ing. This was not done for the approval of 
others. The only account of it is in his 
diary, written for his eyes alone. None but 
his family knew when he withdrew into his 
own room, closed the curtains, shut out the 
world, and spent the long day in communion 
with his God. 

In his quaint, methodical way he some- 
times entered in his journal a list of the sub- 
jects which he presented to the Lord in 
prayer. "February 9; i7o|- The Apoint- 
ment of a Judge for the Super. Court being 
to be made upon next Fifth day, Febr. 12, 
I pray'd God to Accept me in keeping a 
privat day of Prayer with fasting for That 
and other Important Matters : I kept it 
upon the Third day Febr. 10, 170I in the 
uper Chamber at the North East end of 
the House, fastening the Shutters next the 



AN OLD-TIME MAGISTRATE, I 53 

Street. — Perfect what is lacking in my Faith 
and in the faith of my dear Yoke-fellow. 
Convert my children ; especially Samuel and 
Hanah; Provide rest and Settlement for 
Hanah: Recover Mary, Save Judith, Elisa- 
beth and Joseph; Requite the Labour of 
Love of my Kinswoman Jane Tappin, Give 
her health, find out Rest for her. Make 
David a man after thy own heart, Let Susan 
live and be baptised with the Holy Ghost, 
and with fire. Relations. Steer the Govern- 
ment in this difficult time, when the Gover- 
nour and many others are at so much 
Variance: Direct, incline, overrule on the 
Council-day fifth day, Febr. 12, as to the 
special Work of it in filling the Super. Court 
with Justices; or any other thing of like 
nature; as Plim° infer Court. Bless the 
Company for propagation of the Gospel, 
especially Gov"" Ashurst &c. Revive the 
Business of Religion at Natick, and accept 
and bless John Neesnumin who went thither 



154 OLD COLONY DAYS. 

last week for that end. Mr. Rawson at Nan- 
tucket. Bless the South Church in preserv- 
ing and spiriting our Pastor; in directing 
unto suitable Supply, and making the Church 
unanimous : Save the Town, College ; Prov- 
ince from Invasion of Enemies, open. Secret, 
and from false Brethern : Defend the Purity 
of Worship. Save Connecticut, bless their 
new Governour: Save the Reformation under 
N. York Governm^ Reform all the Euro- 
pean Plantations in America; Spanish, Portu- 
guese, English, French, Dutch ; Save this 
New World, that where Sin hath abounded, 
Grace may Superabound ; that Christ who 
is stronger, would bind the strong man 
and spoil his house ; and order the Word 
to be given, Babylon is fallen. — Save our 
Queen, lengthen out her Life and Reign. 
Save France, make the Proud helper stoop 
(Job IX 13), Save all Europe; Save Asia, 
Africa, Europe and America. These were 
gen'l heads of my Meditation and prayer; 



A A' OLD-TIME MAGISTRATE. I 55 

and through the bounteous Grace of GOD, I 
had a very Comfortable day of it." The 
prayer of the Puritan has been compared 
to the newspaper of to-day. It left out noth- 
ing. The atmosphere of prayer is constantly 
present throughout his life. *' There was no 
variance or break, no stagnation or ebb in 
his religious life. This was continuous and 
uniform, in his closet, his family circle, the 
church, the court room, in college business, 
the council chamber, the town meeting and 
the school visitation." 

He dwelt upon the thought that in the 
midst of life we are in death. The subject 
of death was never far distant from his 
thoughts. Tombs and graves had a fascina- 
tion for him. He tells that in visiting the 
family tomb he was *' entertained " by the 
coffins of his "Father and Mother Hull," and 
of his six children. He says, "Twas an awful 
yet pleasing treat." His greatest dissipation 
was funerals. As we follow the long proces- 



156 OLD COLONY DAYS. 

sion of dead Bostonians whom he helped to 
lay away, we almost get the impression that 
he was a professional mourner. He was in 
great demand as a *' Bearer," and found a 
dignified pleasure in leading the solemn fu- 
neral processions through the crooked Bos- 
ton streets. He carefully records, each time, 
whether he let down the head or the feet into 
the grave. He usually had some kind word 
to say of the departed ; but of one poor 
wight he records that ** he lived undesired 
and died unlamented." 

These funerals had their perquisites. It 
was customary to send gloves to all who 
were to attend, and " scarves " or rings 
(sometimes both) to the bearers. The num- 
ber of scarves, rings, and gloves set down in 
Sewall's diary would foot up an enormous 
total. It is related of Dr. Samuel Buxton, 
of Salem, who died at the age of eighty-one, 
that he left to his heirs "a quart tankard full 
of mourning rings which he had received at 



AN OLD-TIME MAGISTRATE. I 57 



funerals." One would think Judge Sewall's 
heirs must have at least a bucket full of these 
relics. And of gloves and scarves he must 
certainly have left barrels, unless, like the 
Rev. Andrew Eliot, he disposed of them in 
his lifetime. This prudent clergyman re- 
ceived, in thirty-two years, from funerals, 
weddings, and christenings, two thousand 
nine hundred and forty pairs of gloves. As 
he and his family could not wear them all, he 
sold them through the Boston milliners, and 
received therefor between six and seven hun- 
dred dollars. The quality of the gloves was 
proportioned to the rank of the wearer. 

We are not to think that there were no 
diversions except funerals. There was feast- 
ing as. well as fasting, rejoicing as well as 
mourning. There was plenty of good eating 
and drinking. We can almost smell and taste 
the savory food on the Sewall table. The 
days of short commons among the Puritans 
were over. After the birth of her fourteenth 



158 OLD COLONY DAYS. 

child Madam Sewall gave a dinner to the 
various professional nurses whom she had 
had occasion to employ in past years, to the 
number of seventeen. It was a gathering 
one would like to have seen. *' Had a good 
Dinner, Boil'd Pork, Beef, Fowls ; very good 
Rost Beef, Turkey-Pye, Tarts." 

Although feasting, fasting, and funerals 
occupy so large a place in the judge's jour- 
nal, they were not the serious occupation of 
his life. He had many duties, and held 
many positions of trust. He was deputy- 
councillor, judge, selectman, moderator, over- 
seer of the poor, commissioner of the Society 
for Propagating the Gospel among the In- 
dians, and Captain of the Ancient and Hon- 
orable Artillery Company. In 1699 he was 
made Judge of the Superior Court; in 1717, 
Judge of Probate, and in 17 18, Chief-Justice. 

The office of judge was not a sinecure. It 
involved holding court in Cambridge, Plym- 
outh, Dedham, Salem, and other towns, in 



AN OLD-TIME MAGISTRATE. 1 59 

all kinds of weather. It involved frequent 
journeys, usually on horseback, — journeys 
that were difficult, uncomfortable, and often 
dangerous. They had to travel ** on rough 
roads, across ferries, often of icy waters, over 
marshes and inner seas." He often mentions 
that in crossing a stream his horse fell under 
him; and more than one party travelling 
from Cambridge or Charlestown to Boston 
barely escaped drowning. The court itself 
was a solemn affair. There were grave and 
weighty decisions to be made. Sins of Sab- 
bath breaking, lying, and drunkenness had to 
be punished. After a disturbance in North's 
tavern, Mr. Thomas Banister, Jr., is fined " 20 
shillings for Lying; 5 shillings for Curse, lOi". 
Breach of the peace for throwing the pots 
and scale-box at the maid and was bound to 
his good behavior till next sessions." When 
an offender was sentenced to prison or to 
the stocks, pillory, or whipping-post, he was 
gravely admonished and reproved by the 



l60 OLD COLONY DAYS. 

judges. A ** woman that had whip'd a man " 
was sentenced to be whipped ; and Judge 
Sewall informed her that a *** woman that had 
lost her modesty, was Hke Salt that had lost 
its savor; good for nothing but to be cast to 
the Dunghill." 

The unlucky wights who sought to intro- 
duce dancing into the colony were rigidly 
suppressed. '' Mr. Francis Stepney, the Danc- 
ing Master, desired a Jury, so he and Mr. 
Shrimpton Bound in ^^50 to January Court. 
Said Stepney is ordered not to keep a Danc- 
ing School ; if he does will be taken in con- 
tempt and be proceeded with accordingly." 
A man who was " Setting a room in his House 
for a man to shew Tricks in " was dealt with 
in a different manner. The magistrates went 
to his house, prayed with him, expostulated 
with him, and sang the ninetieth psalm from 
the twelfth verse to the end. The treatment 
seems to have been effectual. The coming of 
the royal governors and the royal officers and 



AN OLD-TIME MAGISTRATE. l6l *^ 



soldiers of their train had brought into the 
sober Puritan town habits and customs it had 
never known before ; and the judges jealously 
watched these encroachments, and passed 
severe sentence against them when possible. 

They had also other and graver sins to 
deal with. Since there were ten crimes that 
were capital in Massachusetts, sometimes the 
death sentence had to be passed. A hang- 
ing was an affair of the greatest interest. As 
much publicity as possible was given it for 
the sake of example. On the Sunday or 
the lecture-day before the execution the con- 
demned person was brought in chains to the 
church, and seated in a conspicuous place, 
to listen to a sermon on his crime. No one 
failed to be at church on that day ; and these 
improving discourses were printed and sold 
in great numbers. The whole community 
made it a point to be in at the death. Even 
a kindly man like Judge Sewall never stayed 
away from a hanging. 
II 



1 62 OLD COLONY DAYS. 

We have related Sevvall's weakness in re- 
gard to the subject of witchcraft. We must 
not fail to credit him with being ahead of his 
age on three other questions which are still 
of the greatest interest to us, — the slavery 
question, the Indian question, and the woman 
question. Slavery still existed in New Eng- 
land ; and to Sewall belongs the honor of 
publishing the first anti-slavery tract in 
America. It was entitled, " The Selling of 
Joseph ; " and in it he prays for the rights 
of the black man, and answers all the argu- 
ments in favor of slavery. On the Indian 
question he also took advanced ground, and 
labored faithfully and earnestly all his life 
long for the education of this unfortunate 
race. On the woman question he wrote the 
treatise called "Talitha Cumi," in which 
he pleads for women as joint heirs of the 
heavenly mansions, and argues learnedly 
that women will undoubtedly be found in 
heaven. 



AN OLD-TIME MAGISTRATE, 1 63 

Among other books that Sevvall wrote 
there were two on America, in the second 
of which he considers it scripturally as the 
future earthly paradise. He spent many 
years of loving labor on the two bulky vol- 
umes with the appalling title of " Phenomena 
Quaedam Apocalyptica," which deal with the 
fulfilment of prophecies. Nor did he dis- 
dain verse. He sometimes records the mak- 
ing of a couplet as he lies in bed in the 
morning. Here is one of these morning 
productions : — 

"To Horses, Swine, Net-Cattell, Sheep and Deer, 
Ninety and Seven prov'd a Mortal yeer." 

A fair sample of his poetry is this hymn on 
the opening of the new century, which he 
had the bellman recite through the town on 
New Year's Day : — 

" Once more ! our God vouchsafe to shine: 
Correct the Coldness of our Clime. 
Make haste with thy Impartial Light, 
And terminate this long dark night. 



164 OLD COLONY DAYS, 

" Give the poor Indians Eyes to see 
The Light of Life : and set them free. 
So Men shall God in Christ adore, 
And worship Idols vain, no more. 

" So Asia, and Africa, 
Europa, with America ; 
All Four, in Consort join'd shall Sing 
New Songs of Praise to Christ our King." 

On the occasion of a funeral at which two 
other bearers had the name of Samuel, two 
were called John, and one Thomas, Sewall 
made the following couplet, and esteemed it 
worthy of record : — 

" Three Sams, two Johns, and one good Tom 
Bore Prudent Mary to her Tomb." 

The judge was a musician as well as a 
poet, and for twenty-four years he *' set the 
tunes" in the Old South Church. He led 
them triumphantly through the " Bay Psalm 
Book" many times in course; and when he 
set the psalm well, he recorded the fact with 
pride. In one respect he was a model for 
modern musicians. When his musical talent 



AN OLD-TIME MAGISTRATE. 1 65 

began to fail him, he was the first to notice 
it. When he intended Windsor and fell into 
High Dutch, and then, essaying to set an- 
other tune, went into a key much too high, 
he said, " The Lord humble me and instruct 
me that I should be the occasion of any 
interruption in the worship of God." When 
it happened that twice within three weeks he 
set York Tune, and the congregation carried 
it over into Saint David's, he took it as a 
sign that he ought to resign the precentor's 
place. *' I have through the divine Long- 
suffering and Favour done it for 24. years, 
and now God by his Providence seems to 
call me off; my voice being enfeebled." He 
persisted in giving up this pleasant task, 
though urged to continue. 

Of the judge's genial and kindly side we 
have many glimpses. His pockets seem to 
have been always filled with sermons, trink- 
ets, fruits, and goodies. He scarcely ever 
made a call without leaving behind him a 



1 66 OLD COLONY DAYS. 

box of " Chocolatt, Marmalad or Figgs," 
accompanied by a tract. He records in 
one day the giving away of the ** Jews in 
BerHn," ''God's All-Sufficiency," ''Cooper's 
Sermons," "Vincent's Catechism," and forty 
shilHngs. Cotton Mather's sermons he sowed 
broadcast among his friends. 

The judge was also stubbornly conscien- 
tious, and in following his line of duty often 
ran counter to the opinions of others and 
incurred their ill-will. The Rev. Cotton 
Mather rushed upon him one day in a 
public place, and declared in a loud voice 
that he had used his father worse than a 
" neger.'* On the next page of the journal 
we find the entry : " Sent Mr. Increase 
Mather a haunch of Venison. In that I 
hope I did not treat him as a negro." His 
pastor, the Rev. Mr. Pemberton, became 
offended at Sewall and the rest of the judges, 
and in church gave out the first five verses 
of the fifty-eighth psalm to be sung: — 



A/V OLD-TIME MAGISTRATE. 1 6/ 



" Speak, O ye judges of the Earth if just your Sen- 
tence be : 
Or must not Innocence appeal to Heaven from your 
Decree ? 

"Your wicked hearts and Judgements are alike by 
malice sway'd ; 
Your griping Hands, by weighty Bribes, to Violence 
betrayed." 

Sewall writes in his diary: " I think if I had 
been in his place and had been kindly and 
tenderly afTectioned, I should not have done 
it at this time. Another Psalm might have 
suited his Subject as well." 

There was one subject, however, upon 
which Sewall could not be charitable; this 
was the wearing of periwigs. He fought a 
life-long battle against this ungodly fashion 
which was creeping into New England. 
When we come upon the entry, *' This day 
I wore my black skull cap in meeting," it 
seems an unimportant act, but it was in real- 
ity a manifesto. His hair was getting thin ; 
and when all the heads about him were cov- 



1 68 OLD COLONY DAYS. 

ered with flowing periwigs, he covered his 
with a black skull-cap, which he wore until 
his death. When any of his friends adopted 
the obnoxious fashion, he remonstrated with 
them earnestly. " Mention the words of our 
Saviour, Can ye not make one hair white or 
black." He records with almost cruel satis- 
faction the miserable death of a wigmaker. 
When Josiah Williard appeared in a wig, 
Sewall went to him and labored with him. 
** I enquired of him what Extremity had 
forced him to put off his own hair and put 
on a Wigg? He answered none at all. But 
said that his Hair was streight and that it 
parted behinde. Seem'd to argue that men 
might as well shave their hair off their head, 
as off their face. I answered men were men 
before they had hair on their faces, (half 
of mankind have never any). God seems to 
have ordain'd our Hair as a Test, to see 
whether we can bring our minds to be con- 
tent to be at his finding : or whether we would 



AN OLD-TIME MAGISTRATE. 1 69 

be our own Carvers, Lords, and come no 
more at Him." Josiah promised to leave off 
his wig when his hair was grown, but he 
seems to have forgotten his promise, for he 
was still wearing it six months later; and 
when he was to preach in the Old South, 
Sewall absented himself and attended another 
church rather than see the hated wig in the 
pulpit. In summing up the character of a 
man who had died, he says : " A rare instance 
of Piety, Health, Strength, Serviceableness. 
The Wellfare of the Province was much upon 
his Spirit. He abominated Perriwigs." 

We can imagine the judge's feelings when 
the Rev. Cotton Mather preached a sermon 
in defence of periwigs. '' Said one sign of 
a hypocrit was for a man to strain at a Gnat 
and swallow a Camel. Sign in 's Throat dis- 
covered him ; To be zealous against an ino- 
cent fashion taken up and used by the best 
of men ; and yet make no conscience of 
being guilty of great Immoralities. ... I 



I/O OLD COLONY DAYS. 

expected not to hear a vindication of Perri- 
wiggs in Boston Pulpit by Mr. Mather ; how- 
ever, not from that Text. The Lord give me 
a good Heart and help to know, and not 
only to know but also to doe his Will ; that 
my Heart and Head may be his." The 
senseless fashion, however, continually gained 
ground, and Sewall was left almost alone in 
his opposition. 

In 1 71 7, after forty-four years of married 
life, Sewall lost his wife. She had proved 
herself to be worth far more than her weight 
in silver to him, and her husband mourned 
her sincerely. 

It was not to be expected, however, that 
he would remain single. Although he was 
sixty-six years old, his friends began at once 
to look about to find a suitable match for him. 
In a few weeks he himself began to " take 
notice " of the various widows about him. 
The elder Mr. Weller had not yet given his 
famous advice to " bevare of vidders ; " nor 



AN OLD-TIME MAGISTRATE. 171 

would it have been of any use in that commu- 
nity. "Godly old maids," like Mary Carpenter, 
were a rare commodity. It was widows or 
nothing. Boston had not yet become what 
Theodore Parker called it later, the '* Para- 
dise of old Maids." Sewall began to note 
the comings and goings of Madam Katherine 
Winthrop, whose husband had died soon 
after Mrs. Sewall. It is just four months 
after the death of his wife that we find the 
entry in the diary, February 6, "This morn- 
ing wandering in my mind whether to live a 
Single or a Married Life." He had already 
sent Madam Winthrop " Smoking Flax in- 
flamed, the Jewish children of Berlin, and 
my small vial of Tears." All of his friends 
approved his choice, and things seemed to 
be going well, when suddenly his friend, Mr. 
Denison, died, and the judge turned his eyes 
to the Widow Denison. To tell the truth, 
he accompanied her home from the funeral, 
and prayed God to keep house with the 



1/2 OLD COLONY DAYS, 

widow. She came to his house to prove the 
will, and he gave her a ** Widows Book 
Bound, having writ her Name in it." On her 
next visit he took her up into his chamber, 
and *' discoursed thorowly with her ; . - . 
told her I intended to visit her at her own 
house next Lecture day. She said, twoul'd 
be talk'd of. I answered, In such Cases, 
persons must run the Gantlet." On next 
lecture-day he kept his word. He gave her 
Dr. Mather's sermons bound, and she gave 
him very good curds. On his next visit she 
invited him to eat. He gave her ** two Cases 
with a knife and fork in each ; one Turtle 
shell tackling; the other long with Ivory han- 
dles, Squar'd, cost 4^. 6d. ; Pound of Raisins 
with proportionable Almonds." Later he 
gave her a Psalm-book bound with leather, 
and a pair of shoe-buckles ; cost ^s. 3</. At 
last he told her he thought it was time to 
finish the business. But when they came 
to the very delicate question of settlements. 



AN OLD-TIME MAGISTRATE. 1 73 

they could not agree. Mr. Denison had left 
his widow very well to do, and she thought 
it hard to '* give up a certainty for an uncer- 
tainty." The more they discussed the sub- 
ject, the less they agreed. Neither would 
yield ; and the judge wrote, " My bowels 
yern towards Mrs. Denison, but I think God 
directs me in his providence to desist." She 
came once more to see him, on foot from 
Roxbury, on a cold night, to try to patch the 
matter up; but no result was reached. She 
offered to give back his presents, but the 
elderly lover bade her keep them, ** only now 
they had not the same signification as before. 
She went away in the bitter Cold, no Moon 
being up, to my great pain. I Saluted her 
at parting." 

He next visited Mrs. Elizabeth Tilly; 
and here is the record of one week, in the 
diary: — 

September 16, After the Meeting I visited Mrs. 
Tilly. 



174 OLD COLONY DAYS. 

September i8, ditto. 

September 21, I gave Mrs. Tilly a little booke 
entitled " Ornaments for the daughters of Sion." I 
gave it to my dear Wife August 28 1702. 

September 23, 24, eat Almonds and Reasons with 
Mrs. Tilly and Mrs. Armitage ; Discoursed with Mrs. 
Armitage, who spake very agreeably, and said Mrs. 
Tilly had been a great Blessing to them hop'd God 
would make her so to me and my family. 

September 25, Visited Mrs. Tilly. 

The matter was soon settled. Two weeks 
later the banns were published, and in an- 
other two weeks they were married. Sewall's 
son, the Reverend Joseph, who was the apple 
of his eye, performed the ceremony '* in the 
best room below stairs. Mr. Prince pray'd 
the 2^ time. Mr. Adams the Minister of 
Newington was there, Mr. Oliver and Mr. 
Tim° Clark Justices, and many more. Sung 
the 12, 13, 14, 15, and 16, verses of the 90th 
Psalm. Cous. S Sewall set Low-dutch Tune 
in a very good Key, which made the Singing 
with a good number of Voices very agree- 
able. Distributed Cake." The next day 



AN OLD-TIME MAGISTRATE. 1 75 

the governor and his lady, the ex-governor, 
councillors, and ministers in town, with their 
wives, dined with them. 

The judge's happiness was of short dura- 
tion. Mrs. Tilly lived but half a year after 
she had become Mrs. Sewall, and it was all 
to do over again. He remembered with sad- 
ness Madam Winthrop, whom he had left for 
Mrs. Denison. After a suitable time — three 
months — he sent his daughter to acquaint 
Madam Winthrop that if she pleased to be 
within at three P.M. he would wait upon her. 
He approaches her this time with great deli- 
cacy. ** My loving wife died so soon and so 
suddenly, 'twas hardly convenient for me to 
think of Marrying again ; however I came to 
this Resolution, that I would not make my 
Court to any person without first Consulting 
with her." They then discoursed pleasantly 
about the seven single persons who sat in the 
fore-seat the previous Sunday. The next 
day they continued this discourse ; and, as 



1/6 OLD COLONY DAYS. 

she recommended one widow after another, 
he prayed that Katherine herself might be the 
one. But she refused, " as if she had catched 
at an opportunity to do it." The wooer 
refused to be discouraged, gave her the 
** Fountain Opened," and said he would call 
that day Sennight, the loth. Instead of 
waiting for the appointed day, however, he 
called twice within the week; gave her " a 
piece of Cake and Ginger Bread wrapped up 
in a clean sheet of Paper; " told her of his 
loneliness, and that they might help to for- 
ward one another in their journey to Canaan. 
On the loth he called, and was *' treated with 
a great deal of Curtesy ; Wine, Marmalade." 
On the nth he sent her the following letter: 

Madam, — These wait on you with Mr. Mayhew's 
Sermon, and Account of the state of the Indians on 
Martha's Vinyard. I thank you for your Unmerited 
Favors of yesterday ; and hope to have the Hapiness 
of Waiting on you tomorrow before Eight aclock 
after Noon. I pray God to keep you, and give you a 
joyfull entrance upon the Two Hundred and twenty 



AN OLD-TIME MAGISTRATE. 1 77 

ninth year of Christopher Columbus his Discovery; 
and take Leave who am, Madam your humble Serv'. 

S. S. 

When he called next day, he found her full 
of work behind a stand, and her countenance 
much changed, — " looked dark and lower- 
ing." He got his chair in place, and " had 
some Converse, but very Cold and indifferent 
to what 'twas before. Ask'd her to acquit 
me of Rudeness If I drew off her Glove. 
Enquiring the reason, I told her 'twas great 
odds between handling a dead Goat, and a 
living Lady. Got it off." She, however, 
persisted in her refusal, recommended other 
widows to him, and finally twitted him with 
leaving her for Mrs. Denison. Upon which 
he told her that if after a first and second 
vagary she would accept of him returning, 
"■ Her Victorious Kindness and Good Will 
would be very Obliging." He gave her an- 
other book. She filled a glass of wine, and 
sent her servant home with him with a good 



1/8 OLD COLONY DAYS. 

lantern. '' Told her the reason why I came 
every other night was lest I should drink too 
deep draughts of Pleasure. She had talked 
of Canary, her Kisses were to me better than 
the best Canary." When they came to the 
question of settlements, Madam Winthrop 
mentioned her desire that he should keep a 
coach, and also added the condition that he 
should wear a wig. The next day his son, 
the minister, came to him by appointment, 
and they went into his chamber and prayed 
together concerning the courtship. Not to 
much avail, it would seem, for Madam proved 
cold that night. She offered him no wine ; 
when he rose to go did not offer to help him 
put on his coat; would not send her servant 
to light him home, but let him stumble along 
as best he could. He explained that he 
could not afford to keep a coach. ** As to a 
Perriwig, My best and greatest Friend, began 
to find me with Hair before I was born, and 
had continued to do so ever since ; and I 



AN OLD-TIME MAGISTRATE. 1 79 

could not find in my heart to go to another." 
The son again came and prayed with his 
father about the courtship, but with no better 
success than before. 

Mrs. Winthrop was rocking her grand- 
daughter's cradle when he came, and she 
placed the cradle between his chair and hers. 
*' The Fire was come to one short Brand 
beside the Block; " and when it fell to pieces 
and she did not replenish it, he took the hint. 
*'Took leave of her . . . did not bid her 
draw off her Glove as sometime I had done. 
Her Dress was not so clean as sometime it 
had been. Jehovah Jireh ! " Thus ended 
another dream. 

The Widow Ruggles proved equally obdu- 
rate. *' She express'd her inability to be 
Servicable." She even *' made some Diffi- 
culty to accept an Election Sermon, lest it 
should be an obligation on her." 

The judge's next attempt was a letter to 
Mrs. Mary Gibbs, widow, of Newtown: — 



l80 OLD COLONY DAYS. 

January 12, i-jW. 

Madam, — Your Removal out of Town and the 
Severity of the Winter, are the reason of my making 
you this Epistolary Visit. In times past (as I remem- 
ber) you were minded that I should marry you, by 
giving you to your desirable Bridegroom. Some sense 
of this intended Respect abides with me still ; and 
puts me upon enquiring whether you be willing that 
I should Marry you now, by becoming your Husband ; 
Aged, and feeble, and exhausted as I am, your favor- 
able Answer to this Enquirey, in a few Lines, the 
Candor of it will much oblige, Madam, your humble 
Serv't. S. S. 

The widow's answer was favorable, and he 
rode to Newtown in a coach to visit her. 
Carried her a pound of glazed almonds and 
"a Duz. Meers Cakes; Two bottles of Can- 
ary," — not such expensive presents as he 
had given the others; perhaps Mrs. Gibbs 
was too easily won. They discussed settle- 
ments, and she thought him hard. After a 
good deal of higgling the matter was settled, 
and the banns were published, upon which 
he writes to her: "Madam, Possibly you 



AN OLD-TIME MAGISTRATE. l8l 

have heard of our Publishment last Thors- 
day, before now. It remains for us to join 
together in fervent Prayers, without ceasing, 
that God would graciously Crown our Es- 
pousals with his Blessing. A good Wife, and 
a good Husband too, are from the Lord. . . . 
Please to accept of Mr. Mitchel's Sermons 
of Glory, which is inclosed." They were 
married by his son-in-law, and the third Mrs. 
Sewall outlived him. We hope she cared for 
him tenderly during these last few years of 
his life. 

Sewall has been called the last of the 
Puritans ; and truly before his death the old 
order of things had passed away. His last 
years were a continual protest against the 
new ideas which were making their way 
into Boston, of which periwigs were but the 
outward sign. How it must have wrung 
his soul to write that the governor gave a 
ball which lasted till three o'clock in the 
morning ! 



1 82 OLD COLONY DAYS. 

What impression do we get of the charac- 
ter of this man who Hved two hundred years 
ago, and whom we know more intimately 
than any one else that ever walked the streets 
of Boston? Who of us could stand the test 
of writing out from day to day, not only our 
outward actions, but our inward thoughts? 
What impression would the record make 
upon posterity two centuries hence? Judge 
Sewall has stood this test without losing 
one grain of our respect. The diary is quaint 
and amusing, sometimes even undignified, 
and causes many a smile as we linger over 
its pages ; but there is not a single unworthy 
page in it, not one that we wish had been 
left unwritten. There are no scandals, no 
harsh criticisms of contemporaries, no reve- 
lations of hypocrisy. One of his last entries 
is this sentiment from the '' New England 
Weekly Journal " : *' There is no notion more 
false than that which some have taken up, 
that Religion is inconsistent with a Gentle- 



AN OLD-TIME MAGISTRATE. 183 

man." May we not leave him with the fit- 
ting tribute which Whittier has paid to this 
magistrate of the olden time, ** Samuel 
Sewall, the good and wise"? — 

" His face with lines of firmness wrought, 
He wears the look of a man unbought, 
Who swears to his hurt and changes not; 
Yet, touched and softened nevertheless 
With the grace of Christian gentleness, 
The face that a child would climb to kiss ! 
True and tender and brave and just, 
That man might honor and woman trust. 

Green forever the memory be 

Of the Judge of the old Theocracy, 

Whom even his errors glorified, 

Like a far-seen, sunlit mountain side 

By the cloudy shadows which o'er it glide ! 

Honor and praise to the Puritan 

Who the halting step of his age outran. 

To the saintly soul of the early day, 
To the Christian judge, let us turn and say : 
Praise and thanks for an honest man ! 
Glory to God for the Puritan ! " 



SOME DELUSIONS OF OUR FORE- 
FATHERS. 



SOME DELUSIONS OF OUR FORE- 
FATHERS. 

TF our forefathers had been invariably wise 
■*^ and just and good, they would not have 
been human. Had they never made mistakes, 
they would have been too far removed from 
us. Our own degeneracy would have been 
too depressing. It is indeed true, as William 
Stoughton said in his election sermon of 
1688, that *' God sifted a whole nation, that 
He might send choice grain into the wilder- 
ness." In John Fiske's opinion, there has 
been, in all history, "no other instance of colo- 
nization so exclusively effected by picked and 
chosen men." In integrity, in earnestness, in 
that quality which is best expressed by the 
word, "backbone," they had no peers. Their 
convictions, their close study of principles, 
had given them enlarged views on many 
187 



1 88 OLD COLONY DAYS. 

subjects ; but we must not expect them to 
have been prophets and seers. We must not 
consider them as a band of chosen philoso- 
phers, who had come here to establish ad- 
vanced ideas. The earnestness which made 
them willing to endure all manner of persecu- 
tion, to face banishment and all kind of hard- 
ships rather than abandon their convictions, 
made them, in a sense, narrow. Those convic- 
tions were of tremendous importance ; they 
were a matter of life and death ; they must 
be guarded within and without. Hence the 
expulsion of Ann Hutchinson, of Roger 
Williams, of the Quakers, and other heretics. 
It is not in a spirit of criticism that we should 
examine their mistakes, but in a spirit of 
inquiry to judge wherein we resemble them. 
"It is well," says Nevin, ''to revive the 
unwise or unjust acts of our ancestors some- 
times, as we would place a beacon on some 
shoal or reef where a ship had been wrecked, 
to warn others of the danger." 



DELUSIONS OF OUR FOREFATHERS. 1 89 

We have seen that, according to Cotton 
Mather, the seven enemies with whom New 
England had to contend were " the Devil, 
Separatists, Familists, Antinomians, Quakers, 
clerical impostors, and Indians." All o 
these were more or less in league with Satan 
and under his influence. The Indians were 
his special emissaries, his subjects, and wor- 
shippers. When heretics, false prophets, 
and impostors had been driven out, when 
the Indians had been repeatedly conquered, 
and their power lessened, the devil began to 
tremble lest he was to be driven from his 
own soil. He roused himself for a mighty 
effort. The second and third generations of 
New England had to contend with Satan 
himself in a terrible conflict for the mastery. 
For centuries it had been held that the devil 
was the head and ruler of a world of his own, 
— a world of demons; that he was able to 
hold communications with mortals, to inter- 
fere in their affairs, and to exercise more or 



igo OLD COLONY DAYS. 

less control over the laws of nature. The 
logical result of this belief was the belief in 
demoniacal possession or witchcraft ; that is, 
that a person could sign a compact with 
Satan, and by this means obtain certain su- 
pernatural powers. This belief was by no 
means confined to the ignorant, the credu- 
lous, and the superstitious. It was held by 
Luther, by Melancthon, and by Kepler. 
The wisest philosphers, the most eminent 
scholars, accepted without question the ex- 
istence of witches. Richard Baxter, whose 
** Saints' Rest " has soothed so many souls, 
was a firm believer. Doctor More, Sir 
Thomas Browne, Boyle, Cranmer, and Bacon 
were believers. As late as 1765 Blackstone, 
the great expounder of English law, wrote: 
"To deny the possibility, nay, actual exist- 
ence of witchcraft and sorcery, is at once 
flatly to contradict the revealed word of God 
in various passages both of the Old and New 
Testaments; and the thing itself is a truth 



DELUSIONS OF OUR FOREFATHERS. 191 

to which every nation in the world hath, in 
its time, borne testimony either by example, 
seemingly well attested, or by prohibitory 
laws which at least suppose the possibility of 
commerce with evil spirits," 

In the seventeenth century a canon in the 
English Church forbade ministers to cast out 
devils without a license ; and the Bishop of 
Chester actually issued licenses duly author- 
izing certain ministers to cast out devils. 
During this whole century there were trials 
and executions for witchcraft in all civilized 
countries. More than two hundred victims 
were hanged in England ; thousands were 
burned in Scotland, and still larger numbers 
in France, Germany, and Italy. In Geneva, 
in 1 5 14, five hundred persons are said to have 
been executed for witchcraft in two weeks. 
We have an account of the expenses attend- 
ing the execution of two witches in Scotland, 
which shows the cool, matter-of-fact way in 
which the affair was managed. 



192 OLD COLONY DAYS. 

For TO loads of coal to burn them . . £z 6 8 

For a tar barrel 0140 

For towes 060 

For hurden to be jumps for them . . 3 1 1 o 

For making of them 080 

For one to go to Fairmouth for the Laird 

to sit upon their assize as judge . 060 

For the executioner for his pains . . 8140 

For his expenses here 0160 

Total 18 16 4 

Matthew Hopkins in England was so zeal- 
ous in the matter of exterminating witches 
that he received the title of "■ witch finder 
general." He travelled from place to place ; 
his expenses were paid, and he required in 
addition regular fees for the discovery of a 
witch. One of his tests was to prick the 
body of the accused with pins, to find whether 
there was a callous spot, which was supposed 
to be the devil's mark. His favorite test was 
to tie the thumb of the right hand to the toe 
of the left foot, and drag the victims through 
a river or pond; if they floated, they were 



DELUSIONS OF OUR FOREFATHERS. 193 

witches. His success was so great that the 
people accounted for it by declaring that he 
had stolen the devil's memorandum book, in 
which Satan had recorded the names of those 
who were in league with him. It is some 
satisfaction to know that his own right thumb 
and left toe were finally tied together, and he 
was dragged through a pond. But this did 
not happen until he had procured the death, 
in one year, and in one county, of more than 
three times as many as suffered in Salem 
during the whole delusion. We see, then, 
that the witchcraft tragedy in this country 
was a very small affair compared with those 
of the Old World, although we have fallen 
into the habit of speaking of Salem witch- 
craft as if it were something unique in the 
history of civilization. 

Before we take up this dark history in 
detail, let us see what witchcraft meant. 
What constituted a witch? "A witch was a 
person who had made an actual, deliberate. 



194 OLD COLONY DAYS. 

formal compact with Satan, by which it was 
agreed that she should become his faithful 
subject, and do all in her power to aid him 
in his rebellion against God and his warfare 
against the gospel and Church of Christ. 
Thus a witch was considered as a person 
who had transferred allegiance from God to 
the devil." Satan was always glad to have 
these human agents in league with him. 
In return for their services he bestowed 
on the witches certain supernatural powers. 
Through this compact a witch was believed 
to have the power of afflicting, distressing, 
and rending whomsoever she would. She 
could cause them to pine away, throw them 
into the most frightful convulsions, choke, 
bruise, pierce, and craze them, subject them 
to every description of pain and disease, 
and even to death itself The persons upon 
whom she exercised her evil influence were 
said to be bewitched. The witches could 
exert this influence at any distance of time 



DELUSIONS OF OUR FOREFATHERS. 1 95 

or space. When they could not go In per- 
son to the ones they wished to afflict, they 
could transform themselves into the likeness 
of some animal, — a dog, hog, cat, rat, mouse, 
or toad, or a yellow bird. They also had 
imps under their control; and these took the 
form of an insect, such as a fly or a spider. 
A witch could also act upon her victims 
through her spirit, spectre, or apparition. 
Satan enabled her to be anywhere and 
everywhere at once. She could also operate 
on others by means of puppets. She could 
procure any kind of a doll, and will it to 
represent the person whom she wished to 
torment. Then whatever she did to the 
puppet or doll would be suffered by the per- 
son it represented. A pin stuck into the 
puppet would pierce the flesh of the person 
she wished to afflict. A witch could also 
read the thoughts of others, and could influ- 
ence the minds of those whom she wished to 
tempt. She could cast the evil eye. 



196 OLD COLONY DAYS. 

Now let US imagine, for a moment, what 
the case would be if we believed in the power 
of human beings to work such evil. What 
would be our attitude toward them? Are we 
willing to turn a wild beast loose in our 
midst? Would we let a small-pox patient 
roam our streets at will? Would we leave a 
dangerous lunatic at large? Yet how small 
the danger from any of these sources com- 
pared to what might be expected from the 
presence of witches. Unless we can place our- 
selves at this standpoint we cannot realize the 
terrible panic that swept over New England 
two hundred years ago. The horror of that 
tragedy would be unendurable were we not 
able to remember that the community was 
mad with terror. Malice and imposture were 
at work, of course, but the field had been 
prepared for them. In the case of the Salem 
tragedies, moreover, it was not simply terror 
and superstition that actuated our forefathers; 
it was also the stern determination to meet 



DELUSIONS OF OUR FOREFATHERS, 1 97 

Satan face to face and drive him from the 
land. 

There were a number of witches hung in 
the colonies before the outbreak of the 
epidemic at Salem. The first execution for 
witchcraft, in the New World, was in Charles- 
town, in 1647, the victim being Margaret 
Jones. Governor Winthrop presided over 
the trial and pronounced her sentence. He 
gravely records in his journal the evidence 
against her, and also the fact that the 
" same day and hour she was executed, 
there was a very great tempest at Con- 
necticut which blew down many trees." 
Mistress Ann Hibbins, of Boston, was sen- 
tenced by Governor Endicott. In 1680, 
Governor Bradstreet sentenced a witch to be 
hanged, but afterward granted a reprieve, 
and, though the General Court protested and 
urged her death, he succeeded in saving the 
woman's life. Had Governor Bradstreet been 
in power in 1692, our annals might have 



198 OLD COLONY DAYS. 

been different. He was one of the few en- 
lightened ones who consistently opposed the 
storm of prejudice. The most interesting 
witch trial, previous to those at Salem, was 
that of Goody Glover, an Irish Catholic 
woman, who was sentenced to death for hav- 
ing bewitched the Goodwin children. These 
clever little impostors succeeded in fooling 
the most learned men of Boston, including 
Cotton Mather, who wrote an account of 
their strange performances. The writings of 
the Mathers no doubt helped to arouse a 
morbid interest in the subject of witchcraft. 
These earlier cases show that the outbreak at 
Salem was not phenomenal. It differed in 
degree, but not in kind, from what was taking 
place elsewhere. A lack of wisdom in the 
prominent men led them to foster the excite- 
ment rather than check it, and the terrible 
tragedy followed. 

In all the annals of crime there is no more 
singular story than that of the bewitched 



DELUSTOiXS OF OUR FOREFATHERS. 1 99 

children of Salem village. Eight girls, their 
ages ranging from nine years to eighteen, 
together with two or three servant girls, pro- 
cured the death of twenty people and the 
persecution and imprisonment of at least two 
hundred more. In our own day we have 
shuddered at the depravity of a boy criminal 
like Jesse Pomeroy. Before the depravity 
of the " bewitched children," as they were 
called, the mind simply stands appalled, 
refusing to comprehend. Psychologists can 
give us no explanation. That these chil- 
dren were deliberate, wicked, cruel impostors 
there is not a shadow of doubt. It is easy 
to account for the madness of the com- 
munity. The history of panics is always 
the same. But the conduct of the girls 
who worked up the panic cannot be ex- 
plained. It would be charitable to suppose 
them insane, but there is too much proof 
of method in their madness. 

The strange doings began in the house of 



200 OLD COLONY DAYS. 

the Reverend Mr. Parris, pastor at Salem 
village. Mr. Parris had formerly lived at the 
West Indies, and had brought from there 
three slaves, who were called Indians, but 
were probably of mixed blood, partly negro. 
Two of these slaves were concerned in the 
proceedings. Tituba, the Indian woman, was 
full of superstitious tales of magic and sor- 
cery belonging to her native tribe. These 
she poured into the ears of the children of 
the family, — Elizabeth Parris, aged nine, and 
her cousin, Abigail Williams, aged eleven. 
With them was Ann Putnam, aged twelve, 
the daughter of the clerk of the parish. 
During the winter of 169 1 and '92 these girls, 
with half a dozen others, some of them ser- 
vants, met at the house of Mr. Parris and 
studied palmistry, magic, necromancy, and 
the like. They absorbed all the lore of 
Tituba and read all they could find on the 
subject. They became very proficient in all 
kinds of juggling tricks. After entertaining 



DELUSIONS OF OUR FOREFATHERS. 201 

themselves for a time, they concluded to 
astonish their families with their perform- 
ances. "They would creep into holes and 
under chairs, writhe in dreadful contortions, 
utter loud outcries and incoherent unintelligi- 
ble expressions." Then they added fits, 
faints, and ravings to their accomplishments. 
The whole neighborhood was soon filled with 
the story of their behavior. Their families 
were alarmed ; Dr. Griggs, the village physi- 
cian, was called in, and, not understanding 
such unusual symptoms, he gravely declared 
that the girls were "under an evil eye;" that 
is, that they were bewitched. Everybody 
flocked to see the convulsions of the afiflicted 
children. Their love of notoriety increasing, 
they began to exhibit their fits and ravings 
in church, which, remarks the Reverend Mr. 
Lawson with much simplicity, ** occurring in 
pubHc worship did something interrupt me 
in my first prayer, being so unusual." On 
a certain Sunday Abigail Williams cried 



202 OLD COLONY DAYS. 

out after the psalm, "Now stand up and 
take your text!" then, "It's a long text!" 
Another, in the middle of the discourse, 
exclaimed, "Now there is enough of that!" 
One called out, *' Look where she sits upon 
the beam, sucking her yellow bird betwixt 
her fingers ;" and another, " There is a yellow 
bird sitting on the minister's hat as it hangs 
in the pulpit." 

Instead of being punished for such per- 
formances, the girls were looked upon with 
pity and terror. Mr. Parris was greatly ex- 
ercised. He invited the neighboring minis- 
ters to his house for a day of fasting and 
prayer. The children performed before 
them. The ministers were amazed and hor- 
ror stricken. They confirmed the decision of 
the doctor that the children were under the 
power of the devil ; that is, they were be- 
witched. The community was wildly ex- 
cited. They felt that the evil one was let 
loose among them. As he could operate 



DELUSIONS OF OUR FORKFATHERS. 203 

only through human beings in league with 
him, it was necessary to know who his agents 
were. " Who is the devil's agent bewitching 
these unfortunate girls?" was the cry. They 
were importuned to tell who had hurt them. 
At first they were loth to accuse any one, 
but being pressed, named Good, Osborne, and 
Tituba. Their victims were cleverly chosen. 
Three more friendless people could not be 
found. Sarah Good was a bedridden beggar, 
who had separated from her husband and 
was universally disliked. Sarah Osborne was 
another helpless old woman, who had made 
an unhappy marriage, was shattered in mind, 
and had been the subject of much scandal. 
Tituba, the Indian woman, was an excellent 
tool. Warrants were issued for the arrest 
of the three women^ and they were brought 
before the magistrates to be examirred. 

The examination was to be held in the 
tavern, but such crowds came out that they 
had to adjourn to the meeting-house. The 



204 OL^ COLONY DAYS. 

multitude were filled with excitement and 
abhorrence. The magistrates, John Hath- 
orne and Jonathan Corwin, seated themselves 
in front of the pulpit, facing the audience. 
Before them was a table or raised platform, 
and on this the first prisoner, Sarah Good, 
was placed, to be out of reach of the crowd 
and in plain sight. The magistrates assumed 
from the first that the prisoners were guilty, 
and framed their questions in that view, 
trying to make them confess or contradict 
themselves. The afflicted children were 
brought in as witnesses and placed before the 
prisoner. When the poor old woman, from 
her table, looked down upon them, they fell 
to the floor as if struck dead, or screeched 
in agony; or went into fearful spasms and 
convulsive fits ; or cried out that they were 
pricked' with pins, pinched, and throttled by 
invisible hands. Each one was brought up 
to the prisoner, touched her person, and was 
at once restored to calm and quiet. With 



DELUSIONS OF OUR FOREFATHERS. 205 

one voice they all declared that Sarah Good 
had thus tormented them by her power as a 
witch in league with the devil. We may im- 
agine the excitement of the crowd as they saw 
the effect produced before their eyes, and saw 
how, upon touching her, the diabohcal effects 
ceased, the malignant fluid passing back like 
an electric stream into the body of the witch. 
No other evidence was needed to prove her 
guilt. She was carried to prison, bound with 
cords, and loaded with irons ; for it was 
thought that fastenings would not hold a 
witch. The proceedings in the case of Sarah 
Osborne were exactly the same. The children 
were brought in, repeated the acting, and 
fixed the delusion more firmly in the minds 
of the crowd. 

When Tituba was brought upon the stand, 
the wily Indian confessed, and accused the 
other two of being her accomplices and of 
having forced her to sign the devil's book. 
She repeated to those grave magistrates and 



206 OLD COLONY L')A YS. 

to the awe-Struck multitude strange tales of 
riding through the air on sticks, with Good 
and Osborne behind her; of having imps 
who did their bidding; of familiar spirits in 
the shape of cats, dogs, and yellow birds, 
which they sent to hurt and afflict the 
bewitched girls. Day by day the same 
scenes were repeated. The magistrates, with 
their cavalcade, came in pomp from Salem to 
Salem village, every morning, and the pris- 
oners were brought on horseback from the 
Ipswich jail, — a distance of ten miles, — and 
carried back at night. The examination each 
day was simply a repetition, with the actions 
of the girls as proof positive of the guilt of 
the accused. While Tituba was confessing, 
their torments ceased. When she had fin- 
ished she herself fell into convulsions, declar- 
ing that the devil was punishing her for her 
confessions. 

Tituba had said that there were four women 
and two men in the league, and it was neces- 



DELUSIONS OF OUR FOREFATHERS. 20/ 

sary to find the other two. The girls, having 
gained such an influence, became bolder in 
their charges and aimed higher. Their next 
victim was Martha Corey, an honored mem- 
ber of the church, against whom there was 
not a shadow of blame. She had incurred 
their ill-will by declaring her unbelief in 
witchcraft. They feared the clear eyes which 
could see their imposture, and decided to put 
her out of the way by calling her a witch. 
The fourth was Frances Nourse, a mother in 
Israel, and a disbeliever in witchcraft. 

At this stage, Deodat Lawson, a former 
pastor, arrived in the village and preached a 
memorable sermon on the all-engrossing 
theme. With impassioned eloquence he 
summoned the people of God to rally and 
confront unflinchingly their hellish foe. The 
efl'ect of his sermon was terrible. Awe, 
anger, consternation, and frantic zeal filled 
the hearts of his hearers. The Reverend Mr. 
Parris also preached on the subject, from the 



208 OLD COLONY DA YS. 

text, *' Have I not chosen you twelve and 
one of you is a devil?" It was communion 
Sunday. Sarah Cloyse, the sister of Frances 
Nourse, was present. The sister who had sat 
with her on the last communion day was now 
chained in prison, " awaiting the horrors of a 
frenzied tribunal." She felt that the text was 
a fling at her sister, and her heart was too 
full to remain. She arose and passed out of 
the meeting-house to her home. From that 
day she, too, was marked as a witch, and her 
doom was sealed. Other charges followed. 
A child four years old was placed in prison. 
No one was safe, high or low. The Reverend 
Mr. Burroughs, a former pastor, was declared 
a witch, and brought from Maine for his trial. 
A council from the General Court, consisting 
of the deputy governor and five magistrates, 
came out to inquire into the matter. The 
prisons were almost full of those who had 
signed the devil's book. Panic prevailed 
everywhere. People began to feel that their 



DELUSIONS OF OUR FOREFATHERS. 209 

only safety lay in accusing others. Many 
confessed to save themselves. Business was 
at a standstill. Many quit the country. 

Just at this crisis, Sir William Phipps 
arrived in Boston, the new Governor chosen 
by Increase Mather. The new charter, which 
made Massachusetts a royal province instead 
of an independent colony, was put in force. 
A more unsuitable man for such an emer- 
gency could not have been found. Ignorant, 
credulous, and superstitious, he increased the 
frenzy instead of assuaging it. His first 
order was that heavy irons should be put 
upon all those in prison. Salem jails were 
now full of those awaiting final trial. The 
governor appointed a special court of Oyer 
and Terminer to try them, consisting of seven 
judges, with Lieutenant-Governor Stoughton 
as Chief Justice. 

Many were the tests by which a witch was 
discovered. It was believed that a witch 
could not weep, could not shed tears. If 
14 



2IO OLD COLONY DAYS. 

then the accused were too dazed or angry to 
weep, it told against them. Again, it was 
beheved that when they signed the infernal 
compact, the devil put his mark upon them 
by touching with his finger some part of the 
body. His touch left a callous spot which 
could not feel pain. A committee was ap- 
pointed of each sex to examine the bodies of 
the accused. The only way of testing them 
was by sticking pins into them to find the 
callous spot or the devil's mark. There was 
also the test by water, already spoken of. *' If 
you float, you are a witch : if you sink, you 
are not." This was not much used in Salem. 
But the worst thing was the spectral evidence. 
It was believed that a witch could be present 
in her spectre or apparition at any place she 
pleased, no matter what the distance. If, 
then, the afflicted testified that they had been 
tormented by the shape of any person, it 
was of no use to prove an alibi, for a witch 
could easily be in two or three places at once. 



DELUSIONS OF OUR FOREFATHERS. 211 

If she did not wish to go herself, she could 
send her imp, in the shape of a dog, cat, 
toad, rat, spider, or bird ; or she could roll 
up a bundle of rags into a puppet, and by 
sticking pins into it could torment whom- 
soever she would. 

Then there was the visible evidence of the 
effect of the presence of the accused upon 
the afflicted. As soon as a prisoner was 
brought in, the girls fell into convulsions and 
ravings. If, in her terror, she clasped her 
hands, they would shriek out that she was 
pinching them. When she pressed her lips, 
they exclaimed that she was biting them. If 
in her weariness she leaned to one side or the 
other, they cried out that their bodies were 
crushed. If she took a step or changed her 
position, they would say their feet were in 
pain. When Goody Nourse's head drooped 
to one side from fatigue, their necks were bent 
the same way. Elizabeth Hubbard's neck 
was fixed in that direction and could not be 



212 OLD COLONY DAYS, 

moved. Abigail Williams cried out, *' Set 
up Goody Nourse's head, the maid's neck 
will be broke." Whereupon some one held 
the prisoner's head up and Betty Hubbard's 
was immediately righted. The afflicted girls 
also declared that they were pricked with 
pins, and the pins drawn from under their 
flesh were produced in court. These pins 
are still preserved in Salem in the court- 
house. They are kept in a glass bottle, 
sealed with the court seal. Sometimes the 
evidence was so appalling that the amazed 
prisoners were led to believe in their own 
guilt. 

Against such testimony as this no plea 
that they could make would be of any avail. 
To be accused meant to be convicted. The 
verdict was a foregone conclusion. In the 
case of Frances Nourse, the jury were so im- 
pressed by the age, character, and bearing of 
the woman that they brought in a verdict of 
not guilty. Immediately there was an out- 



DELUSIONS OF OUR FOREFATHERS. 213 

cry from the accusers and the spectators. 
Whereupon the magistrates sent the jury 
back to find another verdict, and they were 
obhged to pronounce her guilty. After her 
condemnation the governor granted her a re- 
prieve ; but the people of Salem prevailed 
upon him to recall it, and she was executed 
with the rest. After the sentence was passed, 
she was, by a unanimous vote of the parish, 
formally excommunicated from the church, 
of which she had been for more than fifty 
years an honored member. There is a tradi- 
tion that her body, instead of being thrown 
into the pit on Gallows Hill, was stolen away 
by her children and buried at the home. A 
beautiful monument now marks her grave, 
and two years ago her descendants, to the 
number of hundreds, celebrated the two hun- 
dredth anniversary of her martyrdom. 

Among the saddest cases of this series of 
tragedies are those of Martha Corey and her 
husband, Giles Corey. Mrs. Corey was an 



214 OLD COLONY DAYS. 

earnest, sincere Christian, and too enlightened 
for the age in which she Hved. She was one 
of the two or three bold ones who dared to 
say that they did not beheve in witches. 
This disbehef was enough in itself to cast 
suspicion on her. A person who did not 
believe in witchcraft was considered almost 
an infidel. A member of the Royal Society 
in England but a few years before had writ- 
ten, " Atheism is begun in Sadducism. And 
those that dare not bluntly say ' there is no 
God,' content themselves, for a fair step and 
introduction, to deny there are spirits or 
witches ! " Giles Corey, the husband, had 
been a hard, rough man all his life, and had 
engaged in quarrels and lawsuits; but, a year 
or two before, when over eighty years of age, 
he had joined the church. He was com- 
pletely carried away by the excitement. He 
left his work, day after day, to attend the first 
examinations. When his wife spoke freely 
and fearlessly against the delusions, and 



DELUSIONS OF OUR FOREFATHERS. 215 

begged him to stay away from the trials, he 
was horrified at her infideHty. When the 
wretched children cried out upon her as a 
witch, the superstitious old man began to fear 
there was some truth in it. He remembered 
that she often remained kneeling on the 
hearthstone a long time after he had gone 
to bed. He remembered accidents that had 
happened to his ox and his cat. He remem- 
bered that his saddle had sometimes disap- 
peared when he wanted to go to the trials. 
He remembered that recently, when he tried 
to pray, he could not think of anything to 
say, and he feared he was bewitched ; not re- 
alizing, poor old man, that when one has been 
for eighty years unaccustomed to prayer, the 
habit may not come easily. All these un- 
guarded expresssions of his were used against 
Mrs. Corey. The greatest excitement pre- 
vailed at her trial. One hysterical woman 
threw her muff at her, and, missing her aim, 
took off her shoe and threw it, hittinf^^ Mrs. 



2l6 OLD COLONY DAYS. 

Corey on the head. Two of Corey's sons-in- 
law testified against her. Martha Corey was 
committed to prison ; was tried, and sen- 
tenced to death. ** Protesting her inocency, 
she conchided her Hfe with prayer upon the 
ladder." 

Giles Corey had scarcely awakened from 
his delusion and realized the terrible fate 
that awaited his wife, when he himself was 
marked as a victim. He had probably 
spoken too freely of her condemnation. 
Knowing that there was no hope of justice, 
and that to be accused meant certain death, 
he resolved upon a heroic course. He had 
four married daughters. Two of his sons-in- 
law had testified against his wife. He wished 
to show his attitude to those who had been 
false to her and to those who had been 
true. He therefore made a will, in prison, 
which was rather a deed, conveying all his 
property to the two who had upheld his 
wife in her trouble. He feared, however, 



DELUSIONS OF OUR FOREFATHERS. 21/ 

that if he were tried and convicted of 
felony the will would not stand, and his 
property would be confiscated. He deter- 
mined not to be brought to trial. He chose 
a course which required all the courage and 
firmness of which a human being is capa- 
ble. When called into court to answer to 
the indictment found by the grand jury, he 
would neither plead guilty nor not guilty, but 
stood mute. Unless he would plead, there 
could be no trial; and he would thus retain 
the power of disposing of his own property, 
and securing it to his daughters. To deprive 
the public of the excitement of the trial, to 
deprive the magistrates of their right of con- 
victing him, to deprive the afflicted children 
of the privilege of being afflicted in his 
presence, was the most exasperating plan 
he could have taken. But in spite of the 
wrath and amazement of the magistrates and 
people, nothing could unseal his lips. For 
such an offence, which was called '' standing 



2l8 OLD COLONY DAYS. 

dumb," the English law provided a penalty. 
'* In such cases the prisoner was to be three 
times brought before the court, and called 
to plead ; the consequences of persisting in 
standing mute being solemnly announced to 
him each time. If he remained obdurate 
the sentence oi peine forte et dure was passed 
upon him ; and, remanded to prison, he was 
placed in a low and dark apartment. He 
would there be laid on his back on the bare 
floor, naked for the most part. A weight of 
iron would be placed upon him, not quite 
enough to crush him. He would have no 
sustenance, save only, on the first day, three 
morsels of the worst bread ; and on the sec- 
ond day, three draughts of standing water 
that should be nearest to the prison door; 
and, in this situation, such would be alter- 
nately his daily diet till he died, or till he 
answered." The object of this punishment 
was to induce the prisoner to plead to the 
indictment, so that he could be brought to 



DELUSIONS OF OUR FOREFATHERS. 219 

trial in the ordinary way. The practice of 
putting weights upon the victims, and gradu- 
ally increasing the weight, was to force them, 
by the slowly increasing torture, to yield. 
Giles Corey, a man over eighty years of age, 
voluntarily faced this horrible lingering death, 
rather than yield his rights or recognize the 
justice of that frenzied tribunal. His heroism 
made a profound impression on the minds of 
the public, and had its influence in breaking 
the spell which bound them. 

During all these proceedings the afflicted 
girls had grown more and more expert in 
their acting. Their continual public exhibi- 
tions had increased their boldness and their 
skill. No necromancer could surpass them 
in the management of voice and feature, in 
sleight of hand, in the simulation of passions, 
sufferings, and physical affections. '* There 
has seldom been better acting in a theatre 
than they displayed in the presence of the 
astonished and horror-stricken rulers, magis- 



220 OLD COLONY DAYS. 

trates, ministers, judges, jurors, spectators, 
and prisoners. Day by day pastors, dea- 
cons, church members, college professors, 
officers of state, everybody, learned and igno- 
rant, crowded into the church to behold their 
feats; feats which have scarcely ever been 
surpassed either by ancient sorcerers and 
magicians, or by modern jugglers and mes- 
merizers." No one seems to have dreamed 
that their actings and sufferings could be the 
result of cunning or imposture. The accused 
themselves were utterly confounded by the 
acting of the girls, and almost began to feel 
that they had been the instruments of the 
evil one without knowing it. ** To see a 
young woman or girl suddenly struck down, 
speechless, pallid as in death; with muscles 
rigid, eyeballs fixed or rolled back in their 
sockets ; . the stiffened frame either wholly 
prostrated or drawn up into contorted atti- 
tudes and shapes, or vehemently convulsed 
with racking pains, or dropping with relaxed 



DELUSIONS OF OUR FOREFATHERS. 221 

muscles into a lifeless lump; and to hear 
dread shrieks of delirious ravings, must have 
produced a truly frightful effect upon an ex- 
cited and deluded assembly. The constables 
and their assistants would go to the rescue, 
lift the body of the sufferer, and bear it in 
their arms toward the prisoner. The magis- 
trates and the crowd, hushed in the deepest 
silence, would watch with breathless awe 
the result of the experiment. The officers 
slowly approached the accused, who, when 
they came near, would, in obedience to the 
order of the magistrates, hold out a hand 
and touch the flesh of the afflicted one. In- 
stantly the spasms cease, the eyes open, 
color returns to the countenance, the limbs 
resume their position and functions, and life 
and intelligence are wholly restored. The 
sufferer comes to herself, walks back, and 
takes her seat as well as ever." No wonder 
the effect on the accused persons was con- 
founding, and that it sometimes broke them 



222 OLD COLONY DAYS. 

down. Poor Deliverance Hobbs was com- 
pletely overpowered. Both reason and con- 
science seemed to abandon her. Exclaiming, 
** I am amazed, I am amazed ! " she assented 
to every charge brought against her, and 
said whatever she was told to say. 

The afflicted children had become the 
autocrats of the village. There was no limit 
to their boldness. They were no longer 
cautious as to where they should strike. No 
aim was too high for them. Dudley Brad- 
street, son of the honored and revered Simon 
Bradstreet who had so long served as gov- 
ernor, was obliged to flee. Suspicion was 
cast upon Lady Phipps, wife of Sir William 
Phipps, the governor, who had openly sym- 
pathized with the prisoners. Capt. John 
Alden, son of John Alden of the *' May- 
flower," was brought from Boston to Salem to 
stand a trial. There is a satisfaction in read- 
ing the somewhat strong and emphatic sailor 
language which Captain Alden addressed to 



DELUSIONS OF OUR FOREFATHERS. 227, 

the magistrates on this occasion. He was 
placed in prison, but made his escape, and 
fled to his relatives in Duxbury, where he re- 
mained in hiding until the storm had passed 
by. The old sailor could never afterward 
speak of the episode with any degree of 
calmness. 

The reign of terror had lasted for more 
than six months; twenty people had been 
put to death, — nineteen by hanging, and 
one by being pressed to death ; two had 
died in prison, from fright and exhaustion. 
When eight had been hanged in one day on 
Gallows Hill, the Rev. Mr. Noyes, pointing 
to their bodies, exclaimed : " What a sad 
sight to see eight firebrands of hell hanging 
there ! " The prisons of Boston, Salem, 
Cambridge, and Ipswich were full, and had 
been for months. Hundreds had been com- 
mitted, and were awaiting their trial. One 
victim had been executed in June, five in 
July, five in August, and eight in September. 



224 OLD COLONY DAYS. 

Suddenly the storm seemed to have spent 
itself. The people awakened from the hor- 
rible nightmare which had weighed upon 
them. There is no other instance in history 
of so sudden, so rapid, so complete a revul- 
sion of feeling. The first examination on 
the charge of witchcraft was held on the first 
day of March. The last execution occurred 
on the twenty-second of September. In Sep- 
tember the special court adjourned, to meet 
again in a few weeks; but it never met again. 
Governor Phipps, seeing the temper of the 
people, abolished the special court. In the 
following January, at the session of the Supe- 
rior Court of Judicature in Salem, the grand 
jury brought in fifty indictments for witch- 
craft; but only three were convicted, and 
these were never executed. Later, four were 
tried in Charlestown, one in Boston, and 
five in Ipswich; but no convictions could be 
secured. It was not the officials who had 
changed, but the people. The jurors re- 



DELUSIONS OF OUR FOREFATHERS. 22$ 

peatedly refused to convict. When Judge 
Stoughton, who had presided over both 
courts, found that he was not to be allowed 
to sentence any more witches, he was so 
exasperated that he left the bench in dis- 
pleasure and never returned. " Word was 
brought that a reprieve was sent to Salem, 
and had prevented the execution of seven of 
those that were condemned, which so moved 
the chief judge that he said to this effect: 
* We were in a way to have cleared the land 
of them ; who it is that obstructs the cause 
of justice I know not; the Lord be merciful 
to the country!' and so went off the bench, 
and came no more into that court." 

One thing that helped to turn the tide of 
public opinion was the accusation brought 
against Mrs. Hale, wife of the Rev. Mr. Hale, 
of Beverly. Mr. Hale had helped to raise 
the storm, had been zealous in urging it on; 
but when it broke over his own household, 
he turned and resisted it. Mrs. Hale was so 
15 



226 OLD COLONY DAYS. 

universally beloved and esteemed, her char- 
acter was so far above reproach, that even 
that frenzied community refused to believe 
her guilty. They began to feel that the ac- 
cusers had perjured themselves, and from 
that moment their power was at an end. At 
Andover, where more than fifty were in 
prison, the accused, taking advantage of the 
turn of the tide, began to bring suits for 
slander against the accusers. There were 
some zealots, of course, who tried to keep 
up the excitement, but they did not succeed. 
The storm had spent itself. The reaction 
had set in. It was not that people had 
ceased to believe in the reality of witchcraft. 
Even Calef, the most bitter contemporary 
critic of the trials, wrote, a year later: "That 
there are witches is not the doubt. The 
scriptures else were vain . . . but what this 
witchcraft is and wherein it does consist, 
seems to be the whole difficulty." The 
great change seemed to be the distrust of 



DELUSIONS OF OUR FOREFATHERS. 22/ 

spectral evidence. When any one had testi- 
fied that the apparition of such and such a 
person had appeared to him and had afflicted 
and tormented him, and that he had known 
this apparition to commit murders and all 
sorts of crimes, it was received as evidence. 
It was held that the devil could not assume 
the shape of any person unless that person 
were willing and in league with him. It was 
of no use then for the accused to prove that, 
at the time in question, he was in an entirely 
different place ; for the crime could be com- 
mitted by his apparition as well as by him- 
self They now began to say that the devil 
could assume any shape he chose, even that 
of a perfectly good and innocent man. As 
soon as spectral evidence was thrown out, 
the witch trials fell through. 

In May, 1693, Governor Phipps issued a 
proclamation ordering the release from prison 
of all who were held on the charge of witch- 
craft. "Such a jail delivery was never known 



228 OLD COLONY DAYS. 

in New England." One hundred and fifty 
came out of the prisons. To the disgrace 
of the courts, only those were released who 
had paid their board during the entire time 
of their imprisonment, and their jailer's fees. 
Those who had not the means were left to 
languish in jail until some one paid these 
dues for them. Tituba, the Indian woman, 
was finally sold for her fees. 

We cannot ascertain definitely how many 
had suffered from the charge; for, besides 
those who had been put to death, those who 
had been released, and those who had been 
left for their fees, there were many who were 
out on bail, and others who had escaped 
from prison. Some, too, had fled from the 
country, when suspicion was cast upon them, 
without allowing themselves to be examined. 
Probably no less than three hundred people 
had been definitely charged with witchcraft 
by that one circle of girls. 

Those who were released had been for 



DELUSIONS OF OUR FOREFATHERS. 229 

many months in a prison cell, heavily chained. 
Their property had been wasted, their fam- 
ilies scattered, their health broken. Their 
freedom was restored ; but what was to 
compensate for their ruined lives ? A few 
years later the General Court reversed the 
attainder against those who had been exe- 
cuted, and tried to make good to their fam- 
ilies the losses suffered. The churches also 
revoked the sentences of excommunication. 
In 1697 the government appointed a public 
fast-day throughout the colony, to implore 
the Lord to turn away his anger, and not to 
punish the land for that fatal error. The 
jurors who had tried and convicted the ac- 
cused made a public statement, confessing 
that they had been '* sadly deluded and 
mistaken." 

As to the girls who had originated the 
horrible tragedy, most of them turned out 
profligates. Only one of them — Ann Put- 
nam — ever made public confession of her 



230 OLD COLONY DAYS. 

sin ; and this confession was not so humble 
as it might have been, considering the ruin 
she had wrought. 

The Rev. Mr. Parris persisted in the delu- 
sion with which his name will forever be 
associated. The people of Salem village 
made heroic efforts to rid themselves of his 
ministry, but he refused to go. All the min- 
isters of Boston had to be called in before 
the community could be rid of his presence. 
As we think of those who were condemned, 
one thing must be remembered to their ever- 
lasting honor, — namely, that confession at 
any time would have saved them. They 
preferred to die rather than to lie. Some, 
who at first were, through weakness, per- 
suaded or terrified into a confession, after- 
ward voluntarily took it back and disowned 
it before trial. " It required great strength 
of mind to take back a confession; relin- 
quish life and liberty; go down into a dun- 
geon loaded with irons; and thence to ascend 



DELUSIONS OF OUR FOREFATHERS. 23 1 

the gallows." Yet many a weak girl took 
this step rather than live with that terrible 
lie on her soul. 

And the people who were carried away 
with this weird tide of fanaticism, — can we 
realize how the loneliness of their surround- 
ings, the isolation of their lives, the dangers 
with which they were beset, and the hard- 
ships they had to endure, formed their minds, 
and made them a suitable prey for gloomy 
fancies and morbid superstitions? In the 
history of this panic is there any resemblance 
to the action of mobs in our own day? It is 
easy to stand upon a pinnacle of superiority 
and look down with a pitying smile upon the 
delusions of our forefathers; but, after all, 
are we free enough from superstition, pas- 
sion, and prejudice to pass judgment upon 
them? 



A GROUP OF PURITAN POETS. 



A GROUP OF PURITAN POETS. 

nr^O most of us the words Puritan and 
poet seem antagonistic, — the one a 
contradiction of the other. The traditional 
Puritan is a long-faced, sour-visaged man, 
clad in sad-colored garments. He sternly 
represses in himself, and in those about him, 
air expression of natural affection, all long- 
ing for the beautiful, all desire for enjoyment 
and pleasure. Macaulay tells us that the Pu- 
ritan hated bear-baiting, not because it gave 
pain to the bears, but because it gave pleas- 
ure to the spectators. One hundred and fifty 
years ago the poet, Freneau, expressed the 
popular idea of the Puritan : — 

" There exiles were formed in a whimsical mould 
And were awed by their priests like the Hebrews of 

old, 
Disclaimed all pretenses to jesting and laughter, 
And sighed their Hves through to be happy hereafter, 

235 



236 OLD COLONY DAYS. 

On a crown immaterial their thoughts were intent, 
They looked toward Zion where-ever they went, 
Did all things in hope of a future reward. 
And worried mankind — for the sake of the Lord." 

Hawthorne describes the Puritan children 
playing on the doorstep in such grim fash- 
ion as their training would permit, — playing 
at going to ^church, or at scourging Quakers, 
or at fighting Indians, or at taking witches. 
In short, all our ideas of the Puritan combine 
to suggest a life of repression and gloom. 
We sometimes fear that we have inherited 
from them a sort of vague and undefined be- 
lief that " if you are good you will be happy, 
but you won't have a good time." 

Was there any place for poetry on this 
sombre background? What is poetry with- 
out the idea of the beautiful, without the nat- 
ural emotions of the heart? Had the Puritan 
then no heart? Had he no warm human 
blood? If you want to know the real Puri- 
tan without his shell, turn away from those 



A GROUP OF PURITAN- POETS. 23/ 

musty volumes of sermons, which it would 
require " a long life, implicit faith, and more 
than the patience of Job" to read through, 
and study rather the quaint old diaries and 
the letters of these men who crossed the 
ocean-v for the sake of their convictions. 
Read, for instance, this farewell letter, written 
by Governor Winthrop to the wife whom he 
was leaving behind in England until he could 
prepare a home for her in the wilderness : — 

" And now (my sweet soul) I must once again take 
my last fare-well of thee in Old England. It goeth 
very near to my heart to leave thee ; but I know to 
whom I have committed thee, even to Him who loves 
thee much better than any husband can, who hath 
taken account of the hairs of thy head, and puts all 
thy tears in his bottle, who can and (if it be for his 
glory) will, bring us together again with peace and 
comfort. Oh, how it refresheth my heart, to think 
that I shall yet again see thy sweet face in the land 
of the living! — that lovely countenance, that I have 
so much delighted in, and beheld with so great con- 
tent! I have hitherto been so taken up with business, 
as I could seldom look back to my former happiness; 
but now, when I shall be at some leisure, I shall not 



238 OLD COLONY DAYS. 

avoid the remembrance of thee, nor the grief for thy 
absence. Thou hast thy share with me, but I hope 
the course we have agreed upon will be some ease 
to us both. Mondays and Fridays, at five of the clock 
at night, we shall meet in spirit till we meet in person. 
Yet, if all these hopes should fail, blessed be our God, 
that we are assured we shall meet one day, if not as 
husband and wife, yet in a better condition. Let that 
stay and comfort thy heart. Neither can the sea 
drown thy husband, nor enemies destroy, nor any 
adversity deprive thee of thy husband or children. 
Therefore I will only take thee now and my sweet 
children in mine arms, and kiss and embrace you all, 
and so leave you with my God. Fare-well, fare-well. 
I bless you all in the name of the Lord Jesus." 

Can any woman of the present day show 
a more tender love-letter? More demonstra- 
tive ones we may find, perhaps, more full of 
extravagant expressions, but none that show 
a warmer, truer heart. Indeed, the more 
closely we study the Puritan, the more hu- 
man we find him. There is plenty of evi- 
dence that he had a heart, though it may 
have been sometimes overshadowed by his 
conscience. The greatest fault of the Puri- 



A GROUP OF PURITAN POETS. 239 

tan seems to have been an excess of earnest- 
ness. He was so terribly in earnest in his 
beliefs and purposes that he had no time to 
make life pleasant and easy for himself or his 
family. Lowell has summed up the Puritan's 
creed in three points, — *' faith in God, faith 
in man, and faith in work." He might also 
have added, faith in the devil; for it was his 
firm behef in the ever-present activity and 
enmity of the devil that accounted for his 
austerity. It was not from hardness of heart 
that he tried to repress all worldly instincts 
in his children, but from a watchful and 
jealous love which would save them, in spite 
of themselves, from the grasp of Satan. 

The Puritan prejudice against art and 
against beauty was also a matter of con- 
science. It was the natural reaction against 
the beauty worship of the Renaissance. On 
the one hand were the immorality and the 
paganizing tendencies of the Renaissance, on 
the other, the Catholic reverence for paintings 



240 OLD COLONY DAYS. 

and shrines and grand cathedrals. In his 
intense desire to escape these two dangers, 
the Puritan had really come to believe that 
the Lord loved angles better than curves, 
and that ugliness was more pleasing in his 
sight than beauty. Painting and sculpture 
and architecture, then, were not for him. 
There remained only poetry and music, and 
these with certain limitations. Dramatic po- 
etry, the writings of Shakespeare and his 
brother playwrights and actors, must be 
passed by as temptations of the evil one. 
There was left only the metaphysical school, 
with its curious quirks and conceits and plays 
upon words. As to music, — the instrumental 
music used in church worship in the old 
country ** savored of popery." It was a part 
of the "bare and beggarly ceremonies" which 
they had sought to escape. We may judge 
what they thought of choirs from Puritan 
Prynnes' description of them : " Choirsters 
bellow the tenor as it were oxen ; bark a 



A GROUP OF PURITAN POETS. 24 1 

counterpart as it were a kennel of dogs; 
roar out a treble as it were a sort of bulls; 
and grunt a bass, as it were a number of 
hogs." 

It will be seen that the field allowed to the 
Puritan poet was a very narrow one indeed. 
Yet the desire for poetic expression must be 
a natural instinct of the human heart ; for, in 
spite of all these restrictions and prejudices, 
the Puritans wrote verses by the hundred, — 
not a poem now and then, but quires of 
them, reams of them, miles of them. Not an 
isolated genius here and there, breaking out 
irrepressibly into song, but every one — 
preachers, governors, artisans — found vent 
in rhyme. It was said of John Wilson, the 
first pastor of Boston, that he had so nimble 
a faculty of putting his devout thoughts 
into verse, that he signaliz,ed himself by 
sending poems to all persons, in all places, 
on all occasions, wherein the curious rel- 
ished the piety, sometimes, rather than the 
16 



242 OLD COLONY DAYS. 

poetry. His epitaph commends to after 
ages, — 

" His care to guide his flock and feed his lambs, 
By words, works, prayers, psalms, alms, and ana- 
grams." 

The first considerable collection of poetry 
of the forefathers was that poetic prodigy, 
that metrical monstrosity known as the *' Bay 
Psalm Book," which enjoys the distinction of 
being the first book published in New Eng- 
land. The Pilgrims had brought from Hol- 
land a few copies of Ainsworth's version of 
the Psalms ; but it was not adopted by other 
churches because the tunes were too difficult, 
and because it did not contain all the psalms. 
The Puritans had brought some copies of 
Sternhold and Hopkin's version; but this 
was objectionable for the reason that it was 
used in the Church of England, and also 
because it was not literal enough. They de- 
cided to have a version of their own for use 
in the churches, and appointed a committes 



A GROUP OF PURITAN POETS. 243 

to prepare it, consisting of the " chiefest di- 
vines of the country." It seems appropriate 
that the first book printed in Massachusetts 
should be a psalm book. It was printed in 
Cambridge in 1640, and was used by the New 
England churches for more than a century. 
The titlepage is as follows : — 

"The Whole Book of Psalmes Faithfully Trans- 
lated into English Metre. Whereunto is prefixed a 
discourse declaring not only the lawfulness, but also 
the necessity of the Heavenly Ordinance of Singing 
Psalmes in the Churches of God. 

Coll. III. Let the word of God dwell plenteously 
in you in all wisdome, teaching and exhorting one 
another in Psalmes, Himnes, and spirituall Songs, 
singing to the Lord with grace in your hearts. 

James V. If any be afflicted, let him pray; and 
if any be merry let him sing psalmes." 

The words, *' for the Use Edification and 
Comfort of the saints, in Public and Private, 
especially in New England," were added to 
the second edition. The book was sung 
through in course, beginning with the first 
psalm; and when the end was reached, they 



244 ^^^ COLONY DAYS. 

went back to the first again. There was no 
thought of adapting the psalm to the sermon. 
Eight tunes were used for the whole book, — 
namely, Oxford, Litchfield, Low Dutch, York, 
Windsor, Cambridge, Saint David's, and Mar- 
tyrs. Since there were only a few in each 
congregation who were able to own the book, 
the deacon " lined the psalm." This some- 
times made queer breaks in the meaning of 
the words. For instance, the deacon would 
read : " The Lord will come and he will not," 
and the people would sing, and then pause 
for the second line, — "keep silence but speak 
out." There was much discussion at first as 
to whether the men only should sing, and not 
the women. "Because it is not permitted to a 
woman to speak in the church, how then shall 
they sing? Much less is it permitted them to 
prophecy in the church and singing of psalms 
is a kind of prophecying." The Rev. John 
Cotton answered these objections, and the 
women sang. Some of the psalms were one 



A GROUP OF PURITAN POETS. 245 

hundred and thirty Hnes long; and the Hning 
and the singing occupied a full half hour, 
the congregation standing meanwhile. Yet 
Judge Sewall, in his diary, frequently makes 
*' Humbell acknowledgement to God of the 
great comfort and merciful kindness received 
through singing his psalms." 

Having seen how the Puritans sang, let us 
look at what they sang, — the metrical and 
poetical translations produced by their " chief 
divines." Here is a part of the fifty-eighth 
psalm: — 

" The wicked are estranged from 
the womb, they goe astray 
as soon as ever they are borne; 
uttering lyes are they. 

"Their poyson's like serpent's poyson. 
They like deafe Aspe, her eare 
that stops. Thuough charmer wisely charme 
his voice she will not heare. 

"Within their mouth doe thou their teeth 
break out, O God most strong, 
doe thou Jehovah, the great teeth 
break of the lion's young." 



246 OLD COLONY DAYS. 

A verse of the fifty-first psalm will illustrate 
the good men's struggles for rhyme: — 

" Create in me clean heart at last God : 
A right spirit in me new make. 
Nor from thy presence quite me cast, 
thy holy spright not from me take." 

But, for both metre and rhyme, their crown- 
ing effort was the rendering of the one hun- 
dred and thirty-third psalm : — 

" I. How good and sweet to see 

i 'ts for bretheren to dwell 
together in unitee : 

"2. Its like choice oyle that fell 
the head upon 
that down did flow 
the beard unto 
beard of Aron : 
The skirts of his garment 
that unto him went down: 

"3. Like Hermons dews descent 
Sions mountains upon 
for there to bee 
the Lords blessing 
Life aye lasting 
commandeth hee." 



A GROUP OF PURITAN POETS. 247 

From the rhythm of this we can understand 
some of Judge Sewall's difficulties in setting 
the tune. " He spake to me to set the tune," 
he records, ** I intended Windsor and fell 
into High Dutch, and then essaying another 
tune went into a key much too high. So I 
prayed Mr. White to set the tune which he did 
well. Litchfield." Again he writes : *' I set 
York tune and the congregation went out of 
it into St. David's in the very 2d going over." 
Another time he set Windsor tune, and they 
** ran over into Oxford do what I would." 

Bound up in the back of the third edition 
of the psalm-book were some scripture songs 
from other parts of the Bible. Here is a por- 
tion of the song of Deborah and Barak : — 

" 24 Jael the Kenite Hebers wife 

'bove women blest shall be : 
Above the women in the tent 
a blessed one is she. 

25 He water ask'd: she gave him milk 

him butter forth she fetch'd 

26 In Lordly dish : then to the nail 

she forth her left hand stretched. 



248 OLD COLONY DA YS, \ 

" Her right the workman's hammer held 
and Sisera struck dead : 
She pierced and struck his temple through 
and then smote off his head. 
27 He at her feet bow'd, fell, lay down 
he at her feet bow'd, where 
He fell : Ev'n where he bowed down 
he fell destroyed there." 

Whenever Judge Sewall attended a wed- 
ding, he was accustomed to carry as a bridal 
gift a copy of this psalm-book, and to sing 
from it, to the gloomy tune of Windsor, the 
hymn known as " Myrrh Aloes " : — 

"8 Myrrh Aloes and Cassias smell 
all of thy garments had 
out of the yvory pallaces 

whereby they made thee glad : 

"9 Amongst thine honorable maids 
kings daughters present were 
The Queen is set at thy right hand 
in fine gold of Ophir." 

He then presented the book to the bride- 
groom with words like these : — 



A GROUP OF PURITAN POETS. 249 

" I give you this Psalm Book in order to your per- 
petuating this Song; and I would have you pray that 
it may be an introduction to our Singing with the 
Choir above." 

The Puritans had been singing the psalms 
to their eight tunes for about ten years, when 
the poems of Anne Bradstreet appeared. 
What wonder that the unhappy New Eng- 
landers hailed her with delight as the ** Tenth 
Muse ; " for it must be remembered that 
the first professional poet of New England 
was a woman. She was, too, a Puritan of 
the Puritans. The daughter of that austere 
old Puritan, Gov. Thomas Dudley, and the 
wife of the equally strict, but less stern Puri- 
tan, Simon Bradstreet, she had known from 
her childhood no other influence. In 1630 
she came, a young bride in her *' teens," to 
America; and most of her poems were writ- 
ten during the first ten years in the wilder- 
ness. But they do not tell us what we 
should so much like to know, — her impres- 
sions of this strange New World, her hard- 



250 OLD COLONY DAYS. 

ships, trials, and adventures in it. Her pen 
does not deal with any such common, every- 
day subjects, but seeks far more ambitious 
themes, as may be seen from the following 
elaborate titlepage prefixed by her friends 
to the first edition of her poems : — 

"The Tenth Muse — Lately sprung up in America. 

or Severall Poems, compiled with great 

variety of Wit and Learning, full of delight. Wherein 

especially is contained a complete discourse and 

description of 

r Elements 

_ Constitutions 

The Four ^ ^ 

Ages of Man 

L Seasons of the year. 
Together with an Exact Epitomie of the Four Mon- 
archies, viz. 

f Assyrian, 

_, Persian, 

The ^ ^ . ' 

Grecian, 

t Roman. 

Also a Dialogue between Old England and New, con- 
cerning the late troubles. With divers other pleasant 
and serious Poems. By a Gentlewoman in those 
parts. Printed at London for Stephen Bowtell at the 
signe of the Bible in Popes Head- Alley. 1650." 



A GROUP OF PURITAN POETS 25 I 

A preface, written by a masculine hand, 
commends the book and prophesies that 
men will envy the excellency of the inferior 
sex, and will even question whether it be a 
woman's work, and ask, — 

" Is it possible ? If any do, take this as an answer 
from him that dares avow it; it is the Work of a 
Woman, honoured and esteemed where she lives, for 
her gracious demeanour, her eminent parts, her pious 
conversation, her courteous disposition, her exact dili- 
gence in her place, and discreet managing of her Fam- 
ily occasions, and more then so, these Poems are the 
fruit but of some few houres, curtailed from her sleep 
and other refreshments." 

Following the preface were a number of 
poetic eulogies from prominent clergymen 
who had read the poems in manuscript. 
John Rogers informs her that twice he has 
drunk the nectar of her lines, and speaks of 
"weltring in delight." Another writes: — 

" I 've read your Poem (Lady) and admire. 
Your Sex to such a pitch should e'er aspire; 
Go on to write, continue to relate, 
New Historyes, of Monarchy and State. 



252 OLD COL ONY DA YS. 

And what the Romans to their Poets gave 
Be sure such honour and esteem you '1 have." 

And another still : — 

" Twere extream folly should I dare attempt, 
To praise this Author's worth with complement ; 
None but her self must dare commend her parts, 
Whose sublime brain's the Synopsis of Arts. 
Nature and skill, here both in one agree, 
To frame this Master-piece of Poetry: 
False Fame, belye their Sex no more, it can 
Surpass, or parallel the best of Man." 

The Rev. Nathaniel Ward, of Ipswich, who 
had small esteem for women, wrote : — 

" It half revives my chil frost-bitten blood. 
To see a Woman once, do aught that 's good ; 
And chode by Chancers Boots, and Homers Furrs 
Let Men look to 't, least Women wear the Spurrs." 

Anne herself, in her prologue, forestalls 
those who might object to a woman's wield- 
ing a pen: — 

" I am obnoxious to each carping tongue 
Who says my hand a needle better fits, 
A Poets pen all scorn I thus should wrong, 
For such despite they cast on Female wits: 
If what I do prove well, it won't advance. 
They '1 say it's stoln, or else it was by chance." 



A GROUP OF PURITAN POETS. 253 

We are now ready for the poems themselves. 
They are divided, as we have seen from the 
titlepage, into quaternions. The first group 
considers the four elements — Fire, Earth, 
Air, and Water — represented as four per- 
sonages who have met together, and are 
quarrelling for the precedence, each glorify- 
ing his own deeds and belittling the others. 
Fire stands forth and recounts her services to 
mankind, — how she has framed his tools, 
forged his weapons, cast his pots and kettles, 
cooked his food and warmed his limbs. She 
then describes her powers, — how she has 
destroyed cities and turned castles to cinders, 
— speaks of the terrors of her volcanoes, and 
concludes: — 

" What shall I say of Lightning and of Thunder 
Which Kings and mighty ones amaze with wonder, 
Which make a Caesar (Romes) the worlds proud 

head, 
Foolish Caligula creep under 's bed. 
And in a word, the world I shall consume 
And all therein at that great day of Doom." 



254 O^^ COLONY DAYS. 

Fire sits down satisfied, and Earth arises 
to make her plea. She describes at great 
length her mountains, hills, and dales, her 
fruits and flowers, the many commodities she 
produces for man, and, like Fire, concludes 
her bragging with a threat : — 

" I 'le say no more, but this thing add I must 
Remember Sons, your mould is of my dust 
And after death whether interr'd or burn'd 
As Earth at first so into Earth return'd." 

Water angrily takes her place. She men- 
tions proudly her fountains, rivers, lakes, and 
ponds, her sundry seas, — black and white, — 
her curative springs, her tides, her dews, 
concluding with a reference to the flood, 
when " wholly perish'd Earths ignoble 
race." Then Air, calm and placid, takes 
her stand : — 

" I do suppose you'l yield without controul, 
I am the breath of every living soul." 

Air goes on to show that words are but wind ; 
the sound of drums, trumpets, and organs 



A GROUP OF PURITAN POETS. 255 

are but forced air ; also the report of the gun 
and your songs and pleasant tunes, — they are 
the same. Air fills the bellows of the smith 
and the sails of the mariner, and so on. 

After the four elements come the four ages 
of man. 

" What gripes of wind mine infancy did pain, 
What tortures I in breeding teeth sustain ? " 

sings the first age of man; and the afflicted 
third age cries : — 

" The Cramp and Gout doth sadly torture me, 
And the restraining lame Sciatica. 
The Astma, Megrim, Palsy, Lethagrie, 
The quartan Ague, dropsy, Lunacy." 

The third quaternion is a dialogue between 
the four seasons, each of which sings her 
own praises. Spring tells of her months, — 
March, April, May. In May,— 

" The Sun now enters loving Gefnini^ 
And heats us with the glances of his eye. 
Our thicker raiment makes us lay aside 
Lest by his fervor we be torrifi'd. 



256 OLD COLOjVV days. 

Now swarms the busy, witty, honey-Bee, 
Whose praise deserves a page from more than me 
The cleanly Huswifes Dary's now in th' prime, 
Her shelves and firkins fill'd for winter time." 

Summer appears, ** Wiping the sweat from 
off her face that ran," and recounts her treas- 
ures. Autumn brings her vintage : — 

" Beaf, Brawn, and Pork are now in great request, 
And solid meats our stomacks can digest. 
This time warm cloaths, full diet and good fires, 
Our pinched flesh, and hungry mawes requires : 
Old, cold, dry Age, and Earth Autumn resembles. 
And Melancholy which most of all dissembles. 

'' Cold, moist, young flegmy winter now doth lye 
In swadling Clouts, like new born Infancy. 

" Cold frozen January next comes in. 
Chilling the blood and shrinking up the skin; 
The day much longer than it was before, 
The cold not lessened, but augmented more. 
Now Toes and Ears, and Fingers often freeze, 
And Travelers their noses sometimes leese." 

The poem on '' The Four Monarchies " is 
simply a rhymed version of Raleigh's ''■ His- 
tory of the World." Tedious reading it would 



A GROUP OF PURITAN POETS. 257 

prove now, but in its day it was received with 
enthusiasm. This was useful poetry, with 
nothing trivial or frivolous about it, — no 
poetic fiction either, but good hard facts. 
In the poem about Queen Elizabeth Mrs. 
Bradstreet once more takes up the cudgels in 
defence of women: — 

" She hath wip'd off th' aspersion of her Sex 
That women wisdome lack to play the Rex. 

Now say, have women worth ? or have they none? 
Or had they some, but with our queen is 't gone? 
Nay Masculines, you have thus tax'd us long; 
But she, though dead, will vindicate our wrong. 
Let such as say our Sex is void of Reason, 
Know tis Slander now but once was Treason," 

When Anne Bradstreet died, great was the 
mourning all over New England. Sermons 
were preached in all the churches, and fu- 
neral elegies by the score poured in upon 
the family. A few lines from the one writ- 
ten by the Rev. John Norton may serve 
as a sample of the manner and method 
of all : -^ 

17 



258 OLD COLONY DAYS. 

" A Funeral Elogy, upon that Pattern and Patron of 
Virtue, the truly pious, peerless and matchless Gentle- 
woman 

Mrs. Anne Bradstreet, right Panaretes, 
Mirror of her Age, Glory of her Sex, whose Heaven- 
born-Soul leaving its earthly Shrine, chose its native 
home, and was taken to its Rest, upon the i6th Sept. 
1672. 

" Ask not why hearts turn Magazines of passions, 
And why that grief is clad in sev'ral fashions. 
Ask not why some in mournful! black are clad ; 
The Sun is set, there needs must be a shade. 
Some do for anguish weep, for anger I 
That Ignorance should live, and Art should die. 
Black, fatal, dismal, inauspicious day, 
Unblest forever by Sol's precious Ray," etc., etc. 

There are four hundred pages of Anne 
Bradstreet's poems ; and though a great deal 
of it is rubbish, there is, now and then, an 
ingot which shows that she had really the 
poetic endowment. We can but regret that 
instead of singing the elements and the 
ancient monarchies, she did not turn the at- 
tention of her muse to the life about -her, to 
the strange new experience through which 



A GROUP OF PURITAN POETS. 259 

she was passing, and to the feehngs that 
stirred within her own heart. What would 
we not give for a woman's view of those 
days ? 

Next to Anne Bradstreet in our colonial 
literature comes a name which was, for more 
than a hundred years, a household word 
in New England, — the name of Michael 
Wigglesvvorth, whom we must consider as 
the Puritan Dante, or rather the New Eng- 
land Dante. If Taine called ** Paradise 
Lost " the *' epic of damnation and grace " 
what would he say of Wigglesworth's " Day 
of Doom"? He might truly call it the dog- 
gerel of '* damnation and grace." And yet 
the man had no thought of producing any- 
thing humorous or amusing. He was as 
sadly in earnest in warning his generation 
as was Dante himself when he made his pil- 
grimage through the three worlds of the 
dead. Wigglesworth was the faithful and 
beloved pastor of the church at Maiden for 



260 OLD COLONY DAYS. 

over fifty years. And, although himself a 
" frail feeble shadow of a man," as Cotton 
Mather calls him, he was at the same time 
their physician, healing the body as well as 
the soul. When ill health compelled him, 
for a while, to lay aside his work, he em- 
ployed his time in an attempt to embody his 
teachings in poetic form, in order to reach a 
wider audience. The result was that remark- 
able book, the ''Day of Doom." 

In order properly to estimate this singular 
book, we must endeavor to place ourselves, 
for a time, in the atmosphere in which it was 
created. We must go back two hundred 
years and picture to ourselves the weak com- 
munity, not a nation, not even a state, but a 
few small detached villages, always in dan- 
ger from the Indians, and relying constantly 
on the Lord for protection. They believed 
themselves the chosen people of God, as 
much as ever the Israelites did, trying to gov- 
ern their little body according to God's will, 



A GROUP OF PURITAN POETS. 26 1 

basing their laws on the Old Testament and 
giving a text for every law. They were made 
more rigid and more careful in their life by 
the reports which continually reached them 
of the gross immorality that was rife in Eng- 
land during the reign of the Merry Monarch, 
Charles II. At every fresh scandal, the 
Puritan drew his creed more tightly about 
him and watched more jealously over those 
entrusted to his care. And, stern though it 
seems to us, the sentence which condemned 
Hester Prynne to stand in the market-place 
and to wear the " Scarlet Letter " as a warn- 
ing to other wom.en, was kindness itself 
compared to the cruelty of the sentiment 
prevailing in London, that every woman was 
the natural prey of the man who looked 
upon her. To understand the high ideal of 
the Puritans we have only to compare the 
diary of Judge Sewall with that of Pepys, 
both written at the same time. The one in- 
spired by "plain living and high thinking," 



262 OLD COLONY DAYS. 

the Other by high Hving and no thinking. 
Mindful of all the sin and danger there was 
in the world, the Puritan's aim was not to 
make the world happy, but to get safely 
through it and into the next one. Colman's 
words on Cotton Mather were true of almost 
every one. " Of death and eternity he was 
ever speaking with pleasure and desire." It 
is to be remembered that theology and argu- 
ment were their daily food and that they 
were firm in the faith that their belief was 
the only safe one. It is sad to read that 
even this chosen community, which made it 
the object of life to keep in the right way, 
was beset with *' 82 pestilent heresies." 
When we remember all these things and try 
to surround ourselves with that atmosphere 
of the olden time, we can understand that 
Michael Wigglesworth meant his *' Day of 
Doom" not as a sulphurous denunciation 
of the wicked, but as a solemn warning to 
those for whom he was responsible. 



A GROUP OF PURITAN POETS. 263 



The poem is called ''The Day of Doom; 
or a Poetical Description of the Great and 
Last Judgement." It opens with a picture 
of the heedlessness and indifference of the 
world just before the Judgment. 

"Still was the night, serene and bright, 
When all Men sleeping lay ; 
Calm was the Season, and carnal Reason 
thought so 'twould last for aye. 

"4 They put away the evil day, 

and drown'd their cares and fears, 
Till drown'd were they, and swept away 

by vengeance unawares ; 
So at the last, while men sleep fast 

in their security, 
Surpris'd they are in such a snare 

as Cometh suddenly." 

The Day of Doom suddenly bursts upon 
this sleeping world. 

" 5 For at midnight break forth a Light, 
which turn'd the night to day. 
And speedily an hideous cry 
did all the world dismay. 



264 OLD COLONY DAYS. 

Sinners awake, their hearts do ake, 
trembhng their loines surprizeth ; 

Amaz'd with fear, by what they hear, 
each one of them ariseth. 

" 6 They rush from Beds with giddy heads, 
and to their windows run, 
Viewing this light, which shines more bright 
than doth the Noon-day Sun." 

Christ, the Judge, appears with his train. 

" 10 No heart so bold, but now grows cold 
and almost dead with fear : 
No eye so dry, but now can cry, 
and pour out many a tear." 

In their terror some hide themselves in 
caves, some leap into the sea, and others flee 
to the mountains to escape the dread pres- 
ence. The mountains smoke, the sea roars, 
the earth is rent and torn. The trump is 
sounded ; the dead arise from their graves, 
the living are brought out of their hiding 
places, and all are taken before the judgment 
seat. The sheep are separated from the 
goats and placed at His right hand. 



A GROUP OF PURITAN POETS. 265 

"27 At Christ's left hand the Goats do stand, 
all whining hypocrites, 
Who for self-ends did seem Christ's friends, 
but foster'd guileful sprites : 

"28 Apostates base, and Run-aways, 
such as have Christ forsaken. 
Of whom the Devil, with seven more evil, 
hath fresh possession taken : 

"31 Blasphenriers lewd, and swearers shrewd, 

Scoffers at purity. 
That hated God, contemn'd his Rod, 

and lov'd Security. 
Sabbath polluters, Saints persecutors, 

presumptuous men and proud, 
Who never lov'd those that reprov'd 

all stand amongst this Crowd. 

" 33 False-witness-bearers, and self-forswearers 
Murd'rers and Men of blood. 
Witches, Inchanters, and Ale-house-haunters, 
beyond account there stood. 

" 34 There stands all Nations and Generations 
of Adam's Progeny, 
Whom Christ redeem'd not, who Christ 

esteem'd not, 
through Infidelity. 



266 OLD COLONY DAYS. 

"35 These num'rous bands wringing their hands 
and weeping all stand there, 
Filled with anguish, whose hearts do languish 
with self-tormenting fear." 

Christ then begins to judge. He speaks 
first to the sheep, explaining how and why 
they are saved, and points them to thrones 
near by where they are to assist in judg- 
ing the rest. Then comes the turn of the 
wicked. 

"51 Of wicked Men, none are so mean 
as there to be neglected : 
Nor none so high in dignity, 
as there to be respected. " 

Different classes of sins are judged in their 
order. First hypocrites are disposed of, then 
"civil honest men," those that pretend want 
of opportunity to repent, heathen men, and so 
on, until at last come the reprobate infants. 

" 166 Then to the Bar, all they drew near 
who dy'd in infancy. 
And never had or good or bad 
effected pers'nally. 



A GROUP OF PURITAN POETS. 26/ 

But from the womb unto the tomb 

were straightway carried, 
(Or, at the least, e're they transgrest) 

who thus began to plead." 

The children argue that they should not be 
punished for Adam's sin, but the Judge re- 
plies promptly that they themselves are sin- 
ners and must expect to be treated as such. 

" i8o Yet to compare your sin with their 
who liv'd a longer time, 
I do confess yours is much less, 
though every sin 's a crime. 

" i8i A Crime it is, therefore in bliss 
you may not hope to dwell ? 
But unto you I shall allow 
the easiest room in Hell." 

The pleading is all ended, the earth's foun- 
dation is fired, and the sentence of doom 
pronounced. 

"201 Ye sinful wights, and cursed sprites, 
that work iniquity 
Depart together from me forever 
to endless Misery; 



268 OLD COLONY DA YS. 

"212 But who can tell the plagues of Hell, 
and torments exquisite ? 
Who can relate their dismal state, 
and terrours infinite ? 

"214 But, ah the wo they undergo 

(they more than all besides) 
Who had the light, and knew the right, 

yet would not it abide. 
The sev'n fold smart, which to their part, 

and portion doth fall, 
Who Christ his Grace would not embrace, 

nor harken to his call. 

"211 They hve to lie in misery, 
and bear eternal wo ; 
And live they must whilst God is just, 
that he may plague them so." 

And there the author leaves them while he 
returns to celebrate the felicity of the saints, 
who are not at all disturbed by the sufferings 
of their relatives and friends below. We are 
frankly told that " they 're not dejected nor 
aught affected with all their misery." All 
natural affections seem to be done away with. 
The mother disowns her children who are 
not saved; and the pious father delights to 



A GROUP OF PURITAN POETS. 269 



see his son '' In Hell with Devils, for all his 
evils, burning eternally." It is true that 
sympathy formerly moved them to wish to 
share the woes of others, but now, he says, 
^'such compassion is out of fashion, and 
wholly laid aside." 

" 197 One natural Brother beholds another 

in his astonied fit, 
Yet sorrows not thereat a jot, 

nor pities him a whit. 
The godly wife conceives no grief, 

nor can she shed a tear, 
For the sad fate of her dear Mate, 

when she his doom doth hear. 

" 198 He that was erst a Husband pierc'd 

with sense of wives distress. 
Whose tender heart did bear the part 

of all her grievances, 
Shall mourn no more as heretofore, 

because of her ill plight; 
Although he see her now to be 

a damn'd forsaken wight." 

The swinging sing-song ballad style in 
which it was written added much to the 
popularity of the poem. No other book ever 



270 OLD COLONY DAYS. 

published in America has had so large a cir- 
culation in proportion to the population of 
the country, as did the '* Day of Doom." 
Eighteen hundred copies were sold the first 
year, so that at least every fifth family owned 
a copy. It was the solace, says Lowell, of 
every fireside. Children learned it by heart, 
down to the time of the Revolution. For 
more than a hundred years it was the repre- 
sentative poem of New England, and Cotton 
Mather predicted that it would continue to 
be read in New England until the day of 
doom itself should arrive. 

Toleration is a broad thing. It was George 
Eliot who pointed out that to be truly liberal 
you must learn to tolerate intolerance. We 
can at least try to understand its motives. 
Instead of scoffing at the narrowness and 
bigotry of the Puritan we can endeavor to 
judge him by the standard of the seventeenth 
century and not that of the nineteenth cen- 
tury. We shall find that instead of being 



A GROUP OF PURITAN POETS. 27 1 



narrower than his generation he was, in all 
essentials, broader. If he. drove out a heretic 
now and then, it was because, in their hand- 
to-hand battle for existence, he did not dare 
to run the risk of the presence of a disturb- 
ing element Those were dark days for 
Protestantism, and men needed to be on their 
guard. The fires of the inquisition were still 
smoking in Spain; Holland had been well- 
nigh blotted from the face of the earth; 
Germany had been for thirty years a bloody 
battle-field, and P>ance had driven the whole 
of her thinking population into exile. In 
England the dungeons were overflowing with 
men whose only crime was attending a dis- 
senting church, and the horrors of torture 
inflicted on the Scotch Presbyterians make 
the blood run cold at the recital. What 
wonder that the second generation of Puri- 
tans were more strict than the first? As for 
superstition, — if the Puritans beheved in 
witches, how was it with the rest of the 



2/2 OLD COLONY DAYS. 

world? There was not a nation in Europe 
in which a belief in demoniacal possession 
was not prevalent. For every witch hung 
in Boston or Salem thousands were put to 
death in England, in Germany, Switzerland, 
and Italy. Nor was theology the only science 
which was still groping in darkness. Other 
sciences were yet in the grasp of superstition, 
notably the science of medicine. Witness 
the following prescription, sent by Sir 
Kenelm Digby, a London physician, to John 
Winthrop, Jr. *' For all sorts of agues, I 
have of late tried the following magnetical 
experiment with infallible success. Pare the 
patient's nails when the fit is coming on, and 
put the parings into a little bag of fine linen 
or sarsanet, and tie that about a live eel's 
neck in a tub of water. The eel will die and 
the patient will recover. And if a dog or a 
hog eat that eel, they will also die." 

In short, looking the world over In the 
seventeenth century we find that the New 



A GROUP OF PURITAN POETS. 273 

England Puritan compares very favorably 
with other men. He may have been hard 
and angular, but he was honest, manly, and 
heroic. What he lacked in art he made up 
in character, and earnestness is still one of 
the primal qualities of character. It was not 
so much an excess of earnestness which we 
regret, as the direction sometimes taken for 
its expression. ** Were they too earnest," 
asks Lowell, "in the strife to save their souls 
alive? That is still the problem which every 
wise and brave man is life-long in solving. If 
the Devil takes a less hateful shape to us 
than to our fathers, he is as busy with us as 
with them ; and if we cannot find it in our 
hearts to break with a gentleman of so much 
worldly wisdom, who gives such admirable 
dinners, and whose manners are so perfect, 
so much the worse for us." Before we unite 
too heartily in their condemnation it were bet- 
ter to weigh carefully the words of one who 
was certainly our equal in liberality. *' Next 
18 



274 ^^^ COLONY DAYS. 

to the fugitives whom Moses led out of 
Egypt, the Httle ship-load of outcasts who 
landed at Plymouth two centuries and a half 
ago are destined to influence the future of 
the world. The spiritual thirst of mankind 
has for ages been quenched at Hebrew foun- 
tains ; but the embodiment in human institu- 
tions of truths uttered by the Son of Man 
eighteen centuries ago was to be mainly the 
work of Puritan thought and Puritan self- 
devotion." * 

* James Russell Lowell, in " New England Two Cen- 
turies Ago." 



INDEX. 



^ 



INDEX. 



Adams, John Quincy, quoted, 

48. 
Alden, John, So, 83. 
Alden, Captain John, 222. 
Alden, Priscilla, 79, 80. 
Allerton, Mr., 82, 
Amsterdam, 25, 37. 
Andros, Sir Edmund, 115, 116, 

146. 
"Anne," the, ']']^ 79, 80. 

Bancroft, 16. 

Banister, Mr. Thomas, Jr., 159. 

Barry, Mr., 15. 

Barstow, Goody, 97. 

Baxter, Richard, 190. 

Bay Psalm Book, 242, et seq. 

Bellamy, Mr,, 91. 

Billington, John, 50, 62. 

" Body of Liberties," 90, 94. 

Bradford, Governor William ; 
first history of the " Old Col- 
ony," II ; MS. foimd, 15 ; early 
life of, 17: quoted, 20, 21, 23; 
life in Holland, 25; quoted, 
36, 37, 39, 42-45, 58-60, 65, 
74; death of wife, 54; chosen 
governor, 68 ; married to Alice 
Southworth, 79; re-election as 
governor, 83 ; writings of, 84 ; 
chosen governor for thirtieth 
time, 85 ; death, 86. 

" Bradford's History," 12, 15, 17. 



"Bradford's Letter Book, 12, 

13, 14- 

Bradford, John, 15. 

Bradford, Samuel, 15. 

Bradstreet, Anne, 249, et seq. 

Bradstreet, Dudley, 222. 

Bradstreet, Governor Simon, 
197. 

Brewster, William, aids " Separ- 
atists," 18, 19; imprisoned, 
22; made assistant pastor, 26; 
accompanies Pilgrims, 34; 
cares for the sick, 60, 72, 80; 
moves to Duxbury, 84. 

Browne, Sir Thomas, 190. 

Bryant, Mr., 97. 

Burial Hill, 86. 

Burroughs, Rev. Mr., 208. 

Buxton, Dr. Samuel, 156. 

Calef, Robert, 226. 
Cape Cod, 42, 45, 48, 50. 
Carver, John, elected governor, 

49, 58 ; Received Massasoit, 

63 ; death, 67. 
Carpenter, Mary, 171. 
Charles IL, 115, 131, 135, 144, 

261. 
Chester, Bishop of, 191. 
Clark, Mr. James, 14. 
Clark, Mr. Timothy, 174. 
Clark's Island, 52. 
Clifton, Pastor, 19. 



277 



2/8 



INDEX. 



Cloyse, Sarah, 208. 

Copp's Hil], 114. 

Corey, Giles, 213, 214, 216, 219. 

Corey, Martha, 207, 213, 215, 

216. 
Corwin, Jonathan, 204. 
Cotton, Rev. John, 90, 93, 104, 

118, 244. 
Cushman, Robert, 13. 

"Day of Doom," 259-270. 
Delft haven, 36, 45. 
Denison, Widow, 171, 175. 
Digby, Sir Kenelm, 272. 
Duxbury, 84. 

Eliot, Rev. Andrew^, 157. 
Eliot, Rev. John, no. 
Endicott, Governor, 197. 
Everett, Parson, 106. 

"Father of American His- 
tory," the, II. 
Fiske, John, quoted, 187. 
" Fortune," the, 72. 
Freneau, Phillip, 235. 

Gallows Hill, 213, 223. 
Gibbs, Mrs. Mary, 179, 180. 
Glover, Goody, 193. 
Good, Sarah, 203-206. 
Goodman, John, 57. 
Griggs, Dr., 201. 

Hale, Mrs., 225. 
Hale, Rev. Mr., 225. 
Hathorne, John, 204. 
Hely, Goodman, 102. 
Hibbins, Ann, 197. 
Higginson, Rev. Francis, 92. 
Higginson, Thomas Wentworth, 
quoted, 105, 113. 



Hobbs, Deliverance, 222. 
Hooker, Thomas, 113. 
Hopkins, Matthew, 192. 
Hopkins, Oceanus, 41. 
Hubbard, Elizabeth, 211, 212. 
Hull, Hannah, 137. 
Hutchinson, Ann, 188. 

James H., 115, 116, 146. 
Johnson's " Wonder Working 

Providence," 92. 
Jones, Margaret, 197. 

Laud, Archbishop, 16, 113. 
Lawson, Rev. Mr., 201, 207. 
Lechford, Thomas, 95. 
Leyden, 13, 25, 29, 34. 
Lidget, Captain, 133. 
" Little James," the, 'j'j. 
Lowell, James Russell, quoted, 

229, 270, 273. 
Lyford, Mr., 81. 

Macaulay, quoted, 235. 

" Magnalia Christi Aniericana," 
no, 124. 

Massachusetts Historical So- 
ciety, 13, 16, 134. 

Massasoit, 63, 65, 71, 'j']. 

Mather, Cotton, 84 ; quoted, 
no; tomb, 114, 118; youth, 
119 ; called to the North 
Church, 120; belief m witch- 
craft, 122, 123; writings, 124; 
sermon, 140, 146; quarrel with 
Sewall, 166 ; sermon in de- 
fence of periwigs, 169, 189, 
262, 270. 

Mather, Increase, sermon, 109; 
prayer for death of King Phil- 
lip, no; diary, 114; sent to 
England, 116; chooses the 



INDEX. 



279 



governor, 118; speech on the 
charter, 144, 146, 166, 209. 

Maule, Thomas, 93. 

" Mayflower," the, 17, 35 ; starts 
on voyage, 38, 39; starts for 
the third time, 46; compact 
signed in, 47 ; anchored at 
Provincetown, 49, 50; an- 
chored at Plymouth, 54 ; sent 
back to England, 66, 67. 

Mayhew, no. 

Merrymount, 81. 

More, Doctor, 190. 

Morton, 14. 

Moody, Rev. Joshua, 105. 

"Mourt's Relation/' 12, 13. 

Naumkeag, 83. 
New Haven Code of Laws, 97. 
North Church, 114. 
Norton, Rev. John, 257. 
Noyes, Rev. Mr., 223. 

Old Colony, ii. 
Oldham, John, 81. 
Old South Church, 14, 138, 144, 

145. 
Oliver, Mistress, 91. 
Oliver, Mr., 174. 
Osborne, Sarah, 203, 205, 206. 

Parker, Theodore, 171. 
Parris, Rev. Mr., 200, 202, 207, 

230. 
Parris, Elizabeth, 200. 
Pawtucket, 62. 
Pemberton, Rev. Mr., 166. 
Pepys, 129, 131, 132, 261. 
Phelps, Nicholas, 98. 
Phipps, Sir William, 118, 148, 

209, 222, 224, 227. 
Phipps, Lady, 222. 



Pilgrims, 12, 13, 16, 26; decided 
to leave Holland, 34; embar- 
kation, 38; sign compact, 46; 
landing, 53 ; begin to build 
town, 55-57, 66, 67 ; first duel, 
69 ; famine, 72, 86. 

" Phenomena Quaedam Apoca- 
lyptica," 163. 

"Plain Dealing," 95. 

Plymouth Rock, 9. 

Pomero}'^, Jesse, 199. 

Prince, Rev. Thomas, 14, 15, 

17- 

Prince, Governor Thomas, 83. 
Plymouth, 10, 12, 15, 17, 274. 
Plymouth, England, 39, 45. 
Provincetown, 49. 
Prynne, Hester, 261. 
Prynne, Puritan, 240. 
Puritan preacher, 90, 92. 
Puritans, popular idea of, 235 ; 
character of, 270-274. 

Quakers, hi, 112, 188. 

Robinson, Rev. John, 19, 26, 

34, 80. 
Ruggles, Widow, 179. 

Saint Simon, diary of, 129, 

13O' 133- 
Samoset, 62, 63. 
Sargeant, Thomas, student, toi. 
Scott, Thomas, 99. 
Scrooby, 18, 19, 22. 
"Selling of Joseph," the, 162. 
"Separatists," xi, 19, 1S9. 
Sewall, Henry, 134. 
Sewall, Betty, 139, 141. 
Sewall, Joseph, 139, 174. 
Sewall, Mrs., 158, 171. 
Sewall, Sam, 142, 148. 



280 



INDEX. 



Sewall, Judge Samuel, loo, 103, 
129; diary, 133; early life, 
135 ; marriage, 137 ; diary, 
'^ZI-^'^Z'^ public offices, 143; 
journey to London, 146; en- 
gaged in witchcraft trials, 148 ; 
repentance and confession, 
149-15 1 ; prayer on fast-day, 
152-155 ; duties as judge, 158; 
writings, 162 ; opinion on peri- 
wigs, 167 - 1 70 ; courtships, 
171-180; second marriage, 
174; third marriage, 181 ; 
character, 182, 183 ; quoted, 
245, 247, 248, 261. 

Shephard, Rev, Mr., 113. 

Shrimpton, Mr., 133. 

Smith, Capt. John, 54, 64. 

Southworth, Mistress Alice, 79, 

Southampton, 35, 38. 

" Speedwell," the, 35, 38-41. 

Squanto, 63, 64, 70. 

Standish, Barbara, 79. 

Standish, Miles, 12; joins the 
Pilgrims, 35 ; leads exploring 
party, 49; cares for the sick, 
60, 61 ; meets Massasoit, 63 ; 



ends war with Indians, 'j'j\ 
moves to Duxbury, 83, 85 ; 
death, 86. 

Standish, Rose, 61. 

Stoughton, Lieutenant Gover- 
nor, 209, 225. 

"Talithi Cumi," 162. 
Tilly, Mrs. Elizabeth, 173-175, 
Tisquantum, 63, 64, 70. 
Tituba, 200, 203, 205, 206, 228. 
Tomlin, Mr., of Lynn, loi. 

Ward, Rev. Nathaniel, 90 ; 

quoted, 108, 252. 
Wetherell, Parson, 97. 
White, Peregrine, 50. 
Wigglesworth, Rev. Michael, 

io5, 259-262. 
Williams, Abigail, 200, 201, 212. 
Williams, Roger, 113, 188. 
Willard, Josiah, 168. 
Willard, Rev. Mr., 146. 
Winslow, Edward, 11, 34, 80. 
Winthrop, Governor, 197, 237. 
Winthrop, Madam Katherine, 

171,175? 17S, 179- 



Messrs. Roberts Brothers' Publications, 



Dante : a sketch of His Life and 

Works. By May Alden Ward, author of «' Life of 
Petrarch," ♦♦ Old Colony Days," etc. 16mo. Cloth. 
Price, $1.25. 

While we are still upon Italian ground, we wish to speak of Mrs. May Alden 
"Ward's very clear, unatfected, and interesting sketch of Dante and his life and 
works. It is not easy to trace the career of the poet in the vague and halting 
records ; and it is harder still to tree it from the attribution of ages of sentimen- 
tality and idealization, and present a probable likeness of the man in what he 
actually did and suffered. The etf ort is something comparable to those processes 
by which the stain and whitewash of centuries is removed, and the beauty and 
truth of some noble fresco underneath is brought to light again. We do not mean 
to say that Mrs. Ward has given us another Dante of the Bargello ; but she has 
wrought in the right spirit, and she shows a figure simple, conceivably like, and 
worthy to be Dante, with which she has apparently not suffered her fancy to play. 
Willia/n Dean Howells, in '■'■ Harper'' s Monthly.'''' 

A scholarly piece of work, in which the figure of the great poet who sprung up 
in the dawn of Italian literature is defined strongly and accurately amid his sur- 
roundings. The author has made a careful study of all that pertains to Dante in 
the literature which has grown out of his life and works. — Dial, Chicago. 

A very helpful guide and milestone for any one for the first time en roxUe to 
Dante — who, to beginners, is as remote as the Alps of Alaska, and needs a guiding 
stone at regular intervals. In twenty-four chapters she gives a modest and approx- 
imately complete account of Dante's life, wanderings, and works, and winds up 
with a good bibliography and index. — Critic, New York. 

Mrs. Ward writes with information, with sympathetic appreciation, and with 
great good taste of her lofty theme. — New Orleans States. 

So compact, so agreeable, and so instructive an account of the grand Italian 
has not heretofore appeared in English. — Philadelphia Bulletin. 
. A life of Dante which should not attempt too much has been a desideratum of 

our libraries ; and the present unpretentious but sufficient work fills the empty 
place very acceptably. — New York Nation. 

A convenient handbook cast in narrative form, and serving as a rumiing com- 
mentary, both on the events of the poet's life, which is given in sufficient detail for 
the purpose, and on the series of his writings. The style is good ; the temper, 
modest ; and the discussion, of that excellent quality which makes the reader de- 
sirous of larger knowledge. — Unitarian Beview, Boston. 

Careful, modest, and scholarly. A compact, useful, and reliable biography of 
the unsurpassable poet of Italy and of the world. —Portland Press. 

Strange to say, there has not been an English life of Dante hitherto on either 
side of the ocean. The work has now been well done by Mrs. Ward. Her work is 
complete in a surprising degree. The facts ascertainable are all in their place ; the 
open questions are concisely indicated ; and the story is told with its own charming 
simplicity. — Standard of the Cross. 

A clear and comprehensive story. — Chautauquan. 

Brief, but charmingly written. — Saturday Gazette. 

Interesting from first to last. —New York Graphic. 

Vivid and full of feeling. — New England Journal of Education. 

Compact and picturesque. — Book Buyer. 

Modest, helpful, suggestive. — i?7ercrr?/ World. 

Thoroughly unassuming, attractive, and sympathetic. Nothing could be in 
more perfect taste. — Boston Courier. 



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Publishers, 

EGBERTS BROTHERS, Boston. 



Messrs. Roberts Brothers' Publications. 



Petrarch : a sketch of His Life and 

Works. By May Alden Ward, author of *' Life of 
Dante.'* 16mo. CSoth. Price, $1.25. 

Mrs. May Alden Ward has done for Petrarch what she did for Dante. She has 
written a sketch of his life and woi-ks in a simple, straightforward, and unaltected 
style, presenting a portrait which is very enjoyable, and free from all the extras 
wliich other writers have added to his biography. Mrs. Ward seeks simply to pre- 
sent the man liimself in the full range of his activity. There is nothing laid on, — 
no effort at learning, no attempt to make a great book. Hundreds will read this 
work, as they have read the same author's little book on Dante, and will enjoy 
greatly its unpretending pages without scarcely knowing wh}'. She has told the 
story of Petrarch's life so delightfully that we hope she will tind some other hero 
of that period whose career she can present with equal clearness and simplicity. — 
Boston Herald. 

A companion volume to the same writer's "Dante." It is a charming book, 
graceful in its literary style, happy in the skill with wliich it seizes upon the salient 
point in the poet's life and character, and delightful in the pictures it affords of the 
man, the poet, and his friends. The autlior displays a keen sympathy with the sub- 
ject ; and her criticisms on the poetry and the letters of Petrarch are marked by fine 
taste, admirable judgment, and well-digested knowledge. Although " a sketch," it 
contains in essence all that is to be found in more voluminous works on the same 
theme leavened by the peculiar felicity of thought and treatment that is the au- 
thor's own attractive possession. — Boston Gazette. 

Nothing more attractive in the way of a biographical sketch can be desired than 
May Alden Ward's "Petrarch." The book is delightful in style, sprightly in nar- 
rative, skilful in seizing salient points in the presentation of the poet, and vivid and 
graphic in its pen portraits of the poet and his many friends and appreciative 
admirers. Petrarch, the apostle of culture, the instigator of the revival of letters, 
the precursor of the Renaissance, is before us in living presence. — Providence 
{E. I.) Journal. 

The story of his life, of its great influences and influence, its literary work, its 
value to posterity, is admirably related by Mrs. Ward ; and the volume will prove 
to be one of genuine interest and permanent value. To bring into a comparatively 
limited space so symmetrical a view of one of the epoch-making poets requires 
literary skill of a high order ; and well has Mrs. Ward performed this difficult and 
delicate task. — Boston Budget. 

Mrs. Ward has done her work admirably; and from this one book you may 
glean all that is of real value in the lumdreds of volumes of which Petrarch has 
been the tlieme. His love, his friendships, his ambitions, his greatness, and his 
follies, — they are written here. — Louise Chandler 3foulton. 

Mrs. May Alden Ward's style is remarkably simple, clear, and attractive. In 
whatever phase of his life she presents Petrarch, whether as the dandified youth, 
the rapturous lover, the poetic recluse, or the triumphant laureate, — the first of 
the race of literary lions — he is always human, near to us, and interesting ; and it 
would repay many, to whom Petrarch is little else than a name, to read this sketch 
of him, which is deep enough for tlie more seriously inclined, yet will be entertain- 
ing to those of a lighter mind. — Figaro, Chicago. 

It is the best book in English on the Italian poet, who immortalized himself, as 
well as his Laura, by his famous sonnets. — Philadel phia Bulletin. 

Mrs. Ward has condensed into her valuable sketch the main points scattered 
through the innumerable works of which Petrarch has been the theme, and has told 
of his faults, his follies (for, great as he was, there are some regrettable things in 
his life), his ambitions, his hopes, and his friendships in a fashion that makes him 
seem a very real and present person, instead of one who is separated from us by five 
centuries. — Public Opinion, New York. 



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Messrs. Roberts Brothers Publications. 

The Puritan 

IN 

England and New England, 



By Ezra Hoyt Byington, D.D., Member of the American Society of 
Church History. With an Introduction by Alexander McKenzie, 
D.D., Minister of the First Church in Cambridge, U. S. A. 



One Volume. 8vo. Cloth. 3 Illustrations. Price, $2.00. 



AN admirably written series of historical studies. The writer starts by 
tracing the growth of the Puritan party in England, and shows the 
radical difference between the Pilgrims and the Puritans from the 
beginning. The chapter on "The Early Ministers of New England " is 
fascinating : the methods of worship, the laws requiring attendance and 
those forbiding smoking within two miles of the meeting-house, the style of 
music, the week-day lectures ; indeed, all the little every-day facts about the 
lives of the great Puritan ministers and their congregations are described in 
a distinctly popular style. The writer is a conscientious student of history, 
who has, in many instances, gone to original sources ; and he is master of a 
simple, direct, vigorous style. 

The book is offered to the public in the hope that it may contribute 
toward a fuller knowledge and appreciation of our forefathers, who, under 
the limitations of a pioneer life in the seventeenth century, laid the founda- 
tions of this free and progressive nation. 

The book has had a natural growth, originating in papers read before 
our historical societies, and embracing the following subjects, viz. : The 
Puritan in England ; The Pilgrim and the Puritan, Which ? The Early 
Alinisters of New England; William Pyncheon, Gent.; The Family 
and Social Life of the Puritans : Religious Opinions of the Fathers of 
New England ; The Case of Reverend Robert Breck, of Springfield ; 
Religious Life in the Eighteenth Century in Northertt New Englatid ; 
giving abundance of material for many interesting pages, which will make 
curious and instructive reading. 

We find here the results of honest and patient study, presented in an 
attractive v/ay, with a style remarkably clear and strong ; and we are taken 
from chapter to chapter along pleasant paths, with an increasing knowledge 
of the Puritan and of all which the name stands for, and with a growing 
and abiding admiration of the ancestry to which every American owes so 
much. 



For sale by all Booksellers, Mailed, postpaid, on receipt of price, 
by the Publishers, 

ROBERTS BROTHERS, Boston. 



Messrs. Roberts Brothers' Publications. 



MARGARET AND HER FRIENDS; 

Or^ Ten Conversations wjth Marg^aret Fuller upon 

the Mythology of the Greeks and 

its Expression in Art* 

Held at the house of Rev. George Ripley, Bedford Places 
Boston, beginning March i, 1841. Reported by 
Caroline W. Healey (Mrs. C. H. Dall). 12 mo. 
Cloth. Price, ^i.oo. 

Among the memoirs, only too few. of a transitional period in our liter- 
ary history, this entertaining volume is one of the most interesting. It 
gives some idea of the charm by which Miss Fuller attracted these who 
loved her, and it is curious as showing the line of thought and speculation 
which some of the brightest people here were then pursuing. If it make 
the young people of to-day take down the volumes of Margaret Fuller's 
life, it will do them service. And if any of them have a grandmother who 
lived among those people, they cannot make her a more acceptable present. 
Whatever Mrs. Dall does is well dene, and Margaret Fuller could not 
have asked for a better reporter, — The Comuioiiwealih. 

"Margaret Fuller and Her Friends; or, Ten Conversations with 
Margaret I^^uller upon the Mythology of the Greeks and Its Expression in 
Art," presents Mrs. Caroline Healey Ball's personal reminiscences of the 
famous " Fuller Conversations." The meetings of the " circle " reported in 
the volume were held at the residence of the Rev. George Ripley, in Boston, 
during the spring of 1S41. Among those who met in familiar association 
in the circle, whose presiding genius was Margaret Fuller herself, were the 
celebrated sculptor William W. Stcrey, Ralph Waldo Emerson, James 
Freeman Clarke, George Ripley, A, Bronson Alcott, the gifted author, 
Caroline W. Healey, and a score of others more or less prominent in 
literature. The conversations discuss Greek religion and its influence 
upon Greek art in a delightfully informal style. 'J'he be ok, written at the 
request of the survivors of the Fuller family, is entertaining and instructive, 
and throws a clearer light upon the type of mentality of this gifted 
and unfortunate pioneer among American literary women. — Columbus 
Despatch . 

In these conversations Margaret Fuller, under the forrris suggested by 
mythology, proceeded to open all the great questions of life; and her 
opinions and convictions, and those of her hearers, freely and frankly 
expressed in the intimacy of this friendly circle, form a volume of excep- 
tional mterest and value, — The Wisconsin. 



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Publishers, 

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NEW ENGLAND LEGENDS # FOLK LORE, 

By SAMUEL ADAMS DRAKE, 

Author of " Old Landmarks of ' Boston ' and ' Middlesex,^ " 
" Around the Hiihy etc. 

One volume, 12mo, clotli, illustrated. Price, $2.00. 



THIS volume brings tosretlier, for the first time, the scattered Legendary and Folk Lore 
of New England. No subject is so thoroughly fascinating as this is, while very few 
indeed afford materials at once so rich, so varied, and so picturesque. It is confi- 
dently believed that every one who sees how fertile is the field the author's research has 
opened, will now wonder why such a work was not long ago undertaken. 

The collection, preservation, and effective presentation of the Legendary Tales of New 
England is then the purpose of this book; and that purpose presupposes a work of per- 
manent interest and value. 

For a work of this character nc man is better qualified than Mr. S.'kmuel Adams 
Drake, the author who has already a nigh reputation as a writer of History, IiioGR.'\PHY, 
and Travel, and who is thorough''" > home in any and every phase of Old New England 
Life. His "Old Landmarks of^ lioston," his "'Nooks and Corners of the New England 
Coast," are unique works of their kind, to which his "New England Legends" will un- 
questionably be the appropriate companion and claimant for public favor. 

Having diligently searched out the origin of the Legendary Tales that compose this 
volume, Mr. Drake's method has been to rewrite them in an entertaining manner for his 
readers of to-day ; and as some of these pieces have been the theme of poetry and romance, 
he has placed the prose and poetic versions side by side, in order that the thousands to 
whom "The Scarlet Letter," "The Buccaneer," or "The Skeleton in Armor" are as 
familiar as household words, may have as ready access to the truth as hitherto they have 
had to the romance of history. 

In this way many of the poetical gems of such authors as Longfellow, Whittier, Holmes, 
Dana, Lowell, Brainard, Sigourney, and others, are newly interpreted for the public, besides 
going to enrich the collection. Motley, Hawthorne, Sir Walter Scott, Austin, the Mathers, 
— whoever in fact may have drawn upon this subject for inspiration, — are quoted for its 
illustration. 

The popular superstitions of our ancestors, which included a firm belief in Witchcraft, 
in the Special Providences of God, and in the Manifestations of the Invisible World, — 
not to speak of Omens, Charms, and the like, — are an unfailing source of interest to our 
age. Mr. Drake shows us what those beliefs were, and in what way they worked for good 
or evil, as moral or physical agents, and so moulded the history of the times. Although 
they possess all the charm of romance, these stories are really the sober record of the start- 
ling or marvellous occurrences that they narrate. One cannot rise from a perusal of this 
most fascinating book without saying, "I now know what kind of men and women the 
founders of New England really were. Truth is indeed stranger than fiction ! " 



ROBERTS BROTHERS, 

^ Somerset Street, Boston, Mass, 



Messrs. Roberts Brothers' Publications. 

The New Harry and Lucy. 

A Story of Boston in the Summer of 1891. By 
Edward E. Hale and Lucretia P. Hale. With 
illustrations by Herbert D. Hale. i6mo, cloth. 
Price, ^1.25. 



In a most interesting preface the authors give some information re- 
garding their story, which, it seems, was written as it appeared in The 
Commonwealth, and had no plot other than that which unfolded week by ■ 
week. The hero and heroine record their own experiences by means of 
letters, — he to his mother, and she to a girl friend at home; and the com- 
pleted story is exceedingly natural and readable. It is not at all unlikely 
that the letters of any two bright, wide-awake people might not combine 
into a most acceptable novel ; and as the two authors of this book claim, 
such a record of the life of any city during a few months or years would 
be of tremendous interest and value when another generation should take 
to wondering just how the old-time young men and women passed their 
days, and how the city which they knew could have looked an hundred 
years back. So, as Dr. Hale says, if the Public Library shall have pre- 
served a copy of " The New Harry and Lucy" when the twentieth century 
shall be near its close, this story of Boston life, with all its interesting 
information, will be very valuable. And as nothing that Dr. Hale or his 
gifted sister writes can be ever anything but interesting, "The New 
Harry and Lucy " need not wait for appreciation till a hundred years shall 
have yellowed its printed page. 

It is a wide awake, interesting story. — Boston Times. 

It is unnecessary to state that as a book for young people, inspiriting as 
well as instructivp, and entirely innocent in its fun, this is nearly perfect. 
And no book written by Dr. Hale is without interest to intelligent persons 
of any number of years. — New Haven Palladium. ' 



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ROBERTS BROTHERS, Publishers, 

BOSTON, MASS. 



THE WRITINGS OF SAMUEL ADAMS DRAKE. 



Old Landmarks and Historic Perso7ii^ 
ages of Boston. 

One Volume. Square l2mo. 100 Illustrations. Price $2.0(X 




Old Landmarks and Historic Fields 
of Middlesex. 

One Volume. Square l2mo. Fully Illustrated. Price S2.00. 

■■ » - 

"Your Old Landmarks of Boston is a perfect storehouse of information." — 
Henry W. Longfellow. 

"lam simply amazed at the extent and accuracy of its information." — Jghn 
G. Palfrey. 

"Historic Fields and Mansions of Middlesex is a book after my own heart." — 
Benson jf. Lossing. 

• 

Sold by all Booksellers. Mailed, post-paid, on receipt of price, 
by the Publishers., 

ROBERTS BROTHERS, Boston. 



THE WRITINGS OF SAMUEL ADAMS DRAKE. 



AROUND THE HUB. 

A BOY'S BOOK ABOUT BOSTON. 




" Of the books on Boston, Mr. Samuel Drake's ' Around the Hub ' is 
much the best. The author has written a book about Boston — Boston in 
the old time — for boys. From the days wjien — as the second chapter has it 
— 'the Puritans hung up their hats ' in the then small town of Shawmut, down 
to its expansion into the Boston of a hundred years ago, they were stirring 
times, indeed. Mr. Drake tells how the first settlers in Boston managed to 
settle with their Indian neighbors. He draws for us graphically accurate 
pictures of the old Puritan homes and customs. Then we get to the time 
when the withdrawal of the King's Charter caused the Bostonians to rise in 
arms, and how sturdily they stuck to their rights is told in a style that quit© 
secures one's sympathies. The history of the American struggle for inde- 
pendence could not be written without the men of Boston well in the fore- 
ground, and as the narrative progresses, we are taken through the thick of 
the moral and actual fighting until the famous chapter of history gains a new 
reality from the vivid style of the narrator. Although some parts of the 
book make an Englishman wince, it is just the sort of historic story-telling 
tO do boys real good. Capital illustrations are scattered through the volume, 
increasing the realism of the old-time scenes so well depicted." — The 
London Bookseller. 



One volume. Square lamo. Illustrated. Price, $1.25. 

Sold by all Booksellers. Mailed., post-paid., on receipt of price^ 
by the Publishers.^ 

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